Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

My father Henry Gilbert worked for PMG as a draftsman then the Bureau of Meteorology when he enlisted in the RAAF. Dad was in Darwin with RAAF when the Japanese bombing took place and was evacuated to the Adelaide River Hospital during that time due to a medical emergency. All through his life he suffered guilt having abandoned his fellow officers at such a terrifying time. My understanding is he went to Tocumwal for a short time and then he was in Queensland Bureau when war ended. Then going to various Airports to relieve staff in the MET Offices. He then went to Lae PNG Airport with Meterological Bureau as an Observer in 1946/7 not quite sure as my mother and I went up to him in April 1947.He then was transferred to Rathmines Flying Boat Base we lived at Kilaben Bay I remember him being picked up at our wharf by the RAAF crash boat. Also all the Christmas parties for the children of RAAF personnel were wonderful memories. From Rathmines Dad took a position with MET as Officer in Charge at Norfolk Island Airport, he went for a 3 year term and we stayed there for 11 years it was pure Paradise. We were lucky to be there for the 8th June 1956 Celebrations for BountyDay, where we had a band member off an Australian Navy ship stay with us when on shore for band duties during the Celebrations. We also met the late Duke of Edinburgh when he visited the island. My father was presented to the Duke at a function at Government House, held on the island.

From there my father was transferred to Williamtown RAAF base where he stayed until he retired. He had a happy life in Newcastle where all his family lived. All of his brothers enlisted in WW2, he was in the RAAF, 1 sibling was in the Army, 3 others were in the Navy his 2 sisters became Teachers. Their father was Captain of a Dredge in the Northern Rivers of NSW who then Captained a Tugboat in Newcastle Harbour as well as a ferry. My father was haunted by the Darwin bombing he didn't speak of it, because  of that our precious time with him was distant. I really wish he had offloaded.his anguish so we could have been able to assist him to deal with it. He was a good father but didn't know how to express himself and offload the burden he carried. I miss Dad as I'm now older than my father was when he passed away and I am the only daughter left. Wish he had written down his life story, as I only have fleeting snippets from his full and interesting life. My only disappointment was when I applied for a medal issued to those who served in Darwin, as my father had passed away and the fact he was not in Darwin for the full period of the Bombing due to his medical emergency I was refused by the department issuing those medals. A disgrace I say. I also believe his bladder cancer was from exposure at RAAF bases he served at, especially Williamtown.

Dad would have been so proud of his grandson, Captain Alan Biddle who is a graduate of Duntroon and served with United Nations Peacekeeping Force in East Timor, no longer serving in the Army.