Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John Hastings Carew-Reid originally was a lieutenant Colonel and Squadron Leader in the Australian Airforce flying B-52 bomber planes during the 2nd World War. Then in 1943 John Carew-Reid met US Colonel Leroy Flecture Prouty at an Airforce function in Melbourne, who convinced John Hastings Carew-Reid to join up as an Intelligence Colonel in charge of the then top secret Operation Point Blank which was a directive of 14th June 1943 which ordered RAG Bomber Command and US Eight Airforce to bomb specific targets such as aircraft factories with an overall aim to cripple or destroy the German aircraft fighter strength, thus drawing it away from frontline operations and ensuring it would not be an obstacle to the invasion of Northwest Europe. Because Operation Point Blank was so top secret, the names of those in charge of Operation Point, such as John Hastings Carew-Reid, were also kept top secret, from even those who had too level clearance to people's services records. Thus the last two years of John Hastings Carew-Reid's 2nd World War Record was completely blanked off for a very long time. Thus John Hastings Carew-Reid's appointment to Colonel of Intelligence for the Australian and US Air Forces during the last two years of Second World War, and his involvement as a commander of Operation Point Blank, was completely not accessible for a very long time. John Hastings Carew-Reid after the 2nd World War ended was asked by the Australian Government to help form and create the Australia wide Commonwealth Police of Australia, which is now known as the Australian Federal Police and also to help form and create the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation better known as ASIO