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Media Star
Billy. Darling of the international press.
Nazis Do Not Get Their Goat By EMERY PEARCE THE Squadron Commander "Bee" Beaumont, D.F.C. and Bar, walked across the tarmac. He saluted and said, "Good morning, Flight Lieutenant." The "Flight Lieutenant" answered loudly, "Maaa-maaaaa!" The commander did not blow up in flames at this gross insubordination. Nor did the other pilots who each saluted smartly and received the same answer. They were paying respects to Flight Lieutenant William Goat, D.F.C., the mascot of the Famous West Riding 609 Typhoon Fighter squadron. * He must be saluted every morning, otherwise the squadron will have no luck that day. When the station commander first did it the squadron went out and shot down six Germans and a lot more probables. He gave William the Goat the D.F.C. for that To-day's record of the squadron 172 enemy planes destroyed for certain, 65 probables and 97 damaged for the loss of 31 pilots. Recently it changed over from the Spitfires and Hurricanes, which it had flown since the Battle of Britain, to Britain's, probably the worlds, greatest fighter - the Typhoon. * It is still on the secret list, but Wing-Commander Beaumont, ex-test pilot, gave a demonstration of its powers. "It is a good kite," he said, "You should see it in a scrap. Perhaps the best criterion is that Jerry often refuses to argue it out with us." This particular squadron has had great success in combating the elusive "hit and run" raiders. Herald. 6th June 1943.
High Rank - But Acts Goat By 'Daily Sketch' Correspondent A WING-COMMANDER at an R.A.F. station may not sound an oddity, but yesterday I met one who certainly is. Every officer and man on the station salutes him each morning - but when I offered him a cigarette he ate it. He is the mascot of the R.A.F.'s Typhoon-flying squadron, No. 609 - a plain, lightish brown goat to you and me - but Wing Commander "Billy" Goat D.F.C., to every man in the squadron. Solemnly Saluted The solemn saluting of "Billy" every morning is something more than a ritual. It is a superstition of the Squadron that unless they salute Wing - Commander Goat when on their way to the briefing hut they will have no luck during the day. "Billy" Goat joined the Squadron as a common - or - garden A/C2. By sterling worth he has risen to the rank of Wing - Commander - a fact you can see any day from the black - and - white Wing - Commanders rings painted on his horns. And when the Squadron moves Billy flies in his own plane and now has some hundreds of flying miles to his credit. Wing - Commander "Billy" Goats dietetic foibles may be peculiar, but as a mascot he is infallible. Daily Sketch. 6th June 1943.
Commander Goat, D.S.O. by John Steinbeck His name is Wing Commander William Goat, D.S.O., and he is old in honours and some say in iniquity, but when he joined the R.A.F. wing two years ago he was just able to totter about on long and knobbly legs. For a long time he was treated like any other recruit, kicked about, ignored and at times cursed. But gradually his abilities began to be apparent. He is very good luck to have about. When he is near his wing has good fortune and good hunting. Gradually his horns grew and his talents developed, until now his rank and his decorations are painted on his horns in brilliant colours, and he carries himself with a shambling strut. He will eat nearly everything. No party or any review is complete without him. At one party, being left alone for a few moments, it is reported that he ate 200 sandwiches, three cakes, the arrangements for piano and flute of "Pomp and circumstance," drank half a bowl of punch, and then walked jauntily among the dancers, belching slightly and regarding a certain lieutenants wife, who shall be nameless. Oxygen appetite He has the slightly bilious look of the military of the higher brackets. Being an airgoat he has rather unique habits. If you bring an oxygen bottle into view he rushes to it and demands it. He puts his whole mouth over the outlet and then as you turn the valve on gently he relaxes grunting happily and his sides fill out until he nearly bursts. Just before he bursts he lets go of the nozzle and collapses very slowly, but the energy he takes from the oxygen makes him leap into the air and engage imaginary goats in horny combat. He also loves the glycol cooling fluid which is used in the engines of the Typhoons. For hours he will stand under the barrels licking the drips from the spouts. Indispensable He has the confidence of his men. Once when it was required that his wing change its base of operations quickly, he was left behind, for in those days it was not known how important he was. At the new base the men were nervous and irritable, fearful and finally almost mutinous, and at length when it was seen they would not relax a special plane had to be sent to pick up the Wing Commander and transport him to the new base. Once he arrived everything settled down. The Typhoons had four kills within 24 hours. The nervous tension went out of the air, the food got better as the cooks ceased brooding, and a number of stomach complaints disappeared immediately. Wing Commander Goat lives in a small house behind the operations room. His name and honours are painted over the door. It is very good luck to go to him and stroke his sides and rub his horns before going out on operation. He does not go on operation himself. There is not room in the Typhoon for him, but if it were possible to squeeze him in he would be taken, and then heaven knows what great action might not take place. Evil companions This goat has only one truly bad habit. He loves beer, and furthermore, he is able to absorb it in such quantities that even the mild nearly non-alcoholic English beer can make him tipsy. In spite of orders to the contrary, he is able to seek out the evil companions who will give him beer. Once inebriated he is prone to wander about sneering at everything. He sneers at the American army Air Force and he sneers at the Labour Party, and once he sneered at Mr. Churchill. The sneer is probably inherent in the beer, since punch has quite a different effect on him. In appearance this goat is not impressive. He has shabby, pinkish fur and a cold and fish-like eye. His legs are not straight. In fact, he is slightly knock-kneed. He carries his head high, and his horns, painted in brilliant red and blue, more than offset any physical oddness. In every way he is a military figure. He is magnificent on parade. Eventually he will be given a crypt in the Air Ministry and will die in good time of that military ailment, cirrhosis of the liver. He will be buried with full military honours. But meanwhile Wing Commander William Goat, D.S.O., is the luck of his wing. His loss would cause great unrest and even despondency. Daily Express 15th July 1943.
GROUP CAPTAIN GOAT Goes to a dance Express Staff Reporter WING – COMMANDER GOAT, D.S.O., D.F.C., went with other distinguished guests to a dance last night – a celebration for the 200th “kill” of No. 609 West Riding Squadron, R.A.F. Because the wing – commander has had much to do with the squadron’s success he was promoted – at the dance – to Acting Group Captain. A popular guest, he was around nodding to airmen and looking in at the bars. He was particularly proud, it seemed, of the four rings on his horns. Acting Group Captain Goat was brought to the camp by a Belgian pilot and is now the luck of his squadron. This Typhoon squadron’s 200th went to Pilot – Officer Lawrence Stark, of Bolton, when he shot down a JU.88 near Paris. Since then the figure has become 203.
Footnote : Mascot of the Squadron is Wing Commander William B. Goat. He is saluted every morning to give the squadron luck. Like other goats he eats almost anything, with a partiality for cigarettes. Daily Mail. March 1943.
One
of the most popular members of the squadron is “William B. Goat.” He has red
– painted horns and is omnivorous. His usual breakfast is said to be three
newspapers, and ounce of tobacco, and three sticks of chalk. Yorkshire Post. 1st October 1942.
No
butts for mascot in hoofprints of legend Brian
Dooks Flying
high: Above, members of 609 (West Riding) Squadron with their stuffed goat
mascot; right, the real thing during the Second World War. THE
Original had a reputation as a hard drinker who ate several packets of
cigarettes a day but the goat who has replaced him as the mascot of the
illustrious 609 (West Riding) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is better behaved
altogether. Credit
lies not in careful breeding but in the work of Suzie Cochrane of the West
Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds, who has recreated William from fading Second World
War photographs. In
short, the new mascot - there is no delicate way of saying this - stuffed. So
why, more than 60 years after Air Commodore William de Goat was put out to grass
when the squadron's Typhoons returned to Britain after VE Day, has a new mascot
been commissioned by 609 (West Riding) Squadron now based at RAF Leeming in
North Yorkshire? The
answer lies among the survivors of the original 609 Squadron of the Royal
Auxiliary Air Force, whose association challenged RAF Leeming to
"resurrect" William in time for its annual reunion at the Imperial War
Museum at Duxford, near Cambridge, later this month. As
a former corporal handler of the goat mascot to the RAF Germany Band, the
obvious candidate to take up the challenge was the squadron adjutant, Warrant
Officre Mary Mason, who recruited the West Yorkshire Playhouse to help. When
the new William paraded for the first time he passed inspection by the
squadron's last wartime commanding officer, Squadron Leader LWF 'Pinkie' Stark,
now the association president. The
original mascot joined the squadron in June 1941 when Pilot Officer Vicki
Ortmans returned with him after a drink ina
pub near the fighter base at Biggin Hill in Kent. He was immediately
commisioned as a Flying officer. By
July 7 he had been weaned off milk onto beer and as the Battle of Britain
squadron moved airfields he followed - being promoted as his seniority grew. At
a squadron dance at RAF Manston in December 1942 he ate 30 cigarettes, two bowls
of chrysanthemums and the commanding officers mess bill. When
609Squadron celebrated its 200th 'kill' in 1943 a
national newspaper reported: "Amongst the sea of humanity, consuming
cigarettes and nodding patronisingly to airmen, stalked the dignified figure of
William de Goat, newly promoted to Group Captain." William
even flew with the advance party when in July 1944 the squadron moved to France,
where locals asked that he be allowed to sire their goats. Sadly, the squadron
had to break the news that, for all his distinguished rank and bearing, William
was neutered. Yorkshire Post. 12th July 2001
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