Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Max was born at Ryde, Sydney in 1922 at his Grandparents house. The youngest of three sons, his father William was employed by the NSW Government Railways as Station Master at Temora in the Riverina District. Soon after Max's birth William was promoted and the family moved to Sydney residing in Croydon.
Educated at Croydon Public School and Homebush Boys High School.
After leaving school he was employed by the PMG in the then Telephone Branch 1938. The following year war was declared and all permanent telephone employees were warned not to attempt to join the forces as they would immediately be stopped, the reason being "their ties with lines of communication". This pleased Max's mother immensely as the eldest son William had already joined the Air Force, signals branch in Jan 1939, The second son Clifford was a Chief Petty Officer in the Naval Reserve, and had been called up at the outbreak of war, and she always maintained that no matter what happened, Max was 17 and without written consent could never join up until he was 21, however Max did the next best thing in 1940, he joined the POVC (Post Office Volunteer Corp - A forerunner of the VDC Volunteer Defence Corp- Australia's Dad's Army)
Times have a habit of changing, during 1941 a lot of automation took place in the telephone branch and most importantly in the last month of the year Pearl Harbour was bombed and prior to that Germany had taken on Russia.
Early in 1942 saw the first call ups for 18 year olds for service at home and in the mandated territories.
Max received two call ups for the Army in February and April 1942 and on each occasion was sent back to work. In between times he had written to the RAAF re air crew, ultimately received a reply with the date for the one day examination and medical etc. but he still had to obtain parental permission, and still had to be released from the Telephone Branch, however this was now easing with the automation. Finally Max got his parent's permission and clearance from the PMG and was placed on RAAF Air Crew Reserve (3 -6 months call up) in May 1942.
In the meantime another call up came from the Army in July so he served two months in the Orderly Room 52nd AITB Battalion before the RAAF finally got him out and sent him to 2nd ITS Bradfield Park. He was supposed to join 33 course but they decided all ex Army personnel should start on 34 course with a new draft from the 19 TC.
After more confusion some were sent to Canada and the rest trained in Australia. The trainers combined the courses culminating in them all getting LAC badges at the end of ITS.
Those selected as Observers, about 15 off 34 course and 5 from 33 course plus other odd bods were placed in the "pool" then sent to No32 Squadron Camden carrying out coastal reconnaissance in Hudson planes.
Two months later all Observer Trainees from the pool were sent to 2 AOS Mt Gambier. to commence 36 course. Max finished up in the Sick Bay with laryngitis, influenza and severe ear problems and had to finish AOS on 37 course.
Then posted to Sale Vic and still suffering from the illness collapsed on parade, was taken to the SSQ. Two days later to the new RAAF Hospital recently opened in Sale. Operation for Otitis Media to relieve the pressure. When he was released from Hospital he returned to BAGS in Sale on 38 course. He was then promoted to Sargent with Air Observers Wing. He went on to complete the ANS course then posted to 2 ED Bradfield Park.
Embarkation leave over, about 500 Australian Airmen of all categories joined the old "Mount Vernon" and sailed to San Francisco. On the way Max developed a cyst in the coxis region (tailbone), saw the doctor and told to wait until they reached Angel Island San Francisco. Angel Island medicos said to wait until you reach Fort Slocum in New York. New York medicos told him we can't hold you up here, you will be in England in a week or two, leave it till then.
After the frustration they were given 3 days leave in NY, then shipped down river to Fort Slocum to the "Isle de France". After a day and a night in the stinking conditions down in the bilge sabotage was suspected, they were taken off and returned to Ft Slocum and leave in NY again. No complaints about that.
Leave over so same routine but this time aboard the "Queen Elizabeth" with conditions mightily improved. Two days out in the Pacific Max's condition worsened, another cyst had formed and was heading towards what they called a Pilonidal Cinus on the tailbone. Next thing the ship arrived at the "tail of the bank" at the mouth of the river Clyde Scotland. The troops were shuttled straight to a train which took them from Greenock to Brighton over night.
The Pilonidal Cyst had formed and was feared to be draining. Max was sent straight to Princess Margaret RAF Hospital in Halton near Wendover Buckinghamshire and there he spent six weeks.
After another two weeks convalescent leave Max arrived back in Brighton with things getting pretty hot, by then early 1944.
"D" day was in the air, the whole of the south of England was to be cleared out of troops not immediately required, so all excess personnel from the Metropol and The Grand were busy packaging everything to be transported to the new home RAF Padgate near Birmingham.
Soon after this the exodus took place and Max was posted from Padgate to 9 (0) AFU Pnechelly (Pwllheli) Wales where they did advanced navigation and bombing. From then on to RAF Llandwrog Wales for night navigation and night bombing and photography. Ultimately to 30 OTU Hixon Stafford for operational training, and that is where the trouble really started. He had rounded up a very good Australian crew, full of enthusiasm and zest. Everything went OK until flying at great heights, back came the old ear problems from the extra air pressure, the eustachian tubes would block and result in deaf in both ears for 7 - 14 days. He was promoted to Flight Sargent.
Max was disgusted when he lost his Australian crew, sent on without him with a new English Observer. Max had to attend ENT specialist once a week travelling between Stafford - Wendover to RAF Halton, and was eventually posted to 20 OTU Chipping Warden near Banbury. He teamed up with an English crew who had lost their Observer. After several weeks the ear problem returned.
Many duties were given to max while he was at Satellite Station Edgehill over the next 6 weeks. Lecturing, work in the bombing office, plotting bombs, He even ran a firing range for a time. Then out of the blue came a posting to Brize Norton Oxfordshire transport command on DCIII's with orders not to fly above 5000 ft.
He reported as posted, given a crew and sent to their forward aerodrome B56 Avere 9kms out of Bruxelles (Brussels) Belgium, where he was very happy with no flying problems and was there when VE day was announced, we were actually flying back from Copenhagen Kastrupp, after helping to move a squadron of spitfires to be stationed there when the announcement was made.
About a week after VE day we were selected with several other crews to be sent back to Oxford then onto RAF Ibsley near Bournemouth where we did a course in snatching gliders from the ground.