Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Linda Iona Crossingham was born on 24 November 1922 at Bellimbopinni, the first child and only daughter of Leonard and Janet Crossingham. Her mother Janet was a granddaughter of William and Janet Saul. After her schooling Linda worked as a factory hand in the local Nestles factory. She enlisted in Royal Australian Air Force on 18 March 1942. Her reference stated she was a ‘good type, respectful, keen, alert’. She was deemed to be suitable as a trainee cook even though she requested a position of clerk. She was stationed at Rathmines RAAF base, Lake Macquarie. Rathmines RAAF seaplane base played an essential role in the defence of Australia during WWII. From 1939 – 1962 thousands of people and hundreds of seaplanes operated and trained at the base. Later she was based at Parkes and Canberra. Linda was discharged from service on 4 April 1946.

On 19 October 1946 at St Johns Anglican Church at Smithtown, Linda married ex-RAAF Reginald Winterton-Freestone. She wore her mother’s Limerick lace veil, held in place by ‘a pretty headdress of Limerick lace and orange blossoms’ (Macleay Chronicle 20 November 1946). After their marriage the couple settled in Ryde. A daughter was born to them soon afterwards. Sadly, Linda died aged just 33 on 11 June 1956 from a malignant melanoma. She is buried in Frederickton cemetery.