Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

One of four brothers who served in WWII, Leading Aircraftman Bertram Richard Mervyn Franklin (Service No:38713) enlisted in the RAAF at No 4 Recruiting Centre Perth on 21 May 1941 as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Aircraft Hand, and re mustered as Driver Motor Transport then Fitter. ACI Franklin was attached to 14 Squadron Pearce and, promoted to Leading Aircraftman on 1 December 1943, to 30 Squadron and Transport and Movements Office (T&MO). LAC Franklin was attached to RAAF Station Pearce at Discharge on 29 November 1945.

Darkie (aka Mervyn) was born in Bunbury, Western Australia in 1914, third of seven children of Herbert (Bertie) Franklin (b1886 in Melbourne, Victoria) and his first wife Alice Amy Aitken (b1890 in Melbourne, Victoria). Bertie (who later gave himself the name Herbert Augustus Theodore Franklin) moved to Western Australia in the early 1900s, and was a Gardener in Leonora when he and Alice married in 1911.  The family moved often -Alice frequently left on her own with the children - Marrinup where Bertie was a Timber Worker, Bunbury where he was a Sleeper Hewer, Midland Junction where he was a Porter and Labourer, and Greenbushes where he was a Guard for the Timber Corporation. Bertie served briefly (August - December 1916) in the AIF (Private; Service No:8709) and returned to Melbourne in the 1920s, where he remarried. Alice later remarried and lived in Mt Magnet.

Darkie worked in Bruce Rock as a Truck Driver for seven years before enlisting in the RAAF in 1941, and in 1941 at Kewda via Brookton, married Hazel Lois Nottle (b1921 in Northam, Western Australia). Darkie and Hazel settled in Carnamah, where they raised their family and Darkie worked as a Mechanic and Bus Driver (Eric H Gurr's Garage), and in the 1970s as a Linesman. Darkie was organiser of a local Youth Group and a Member of the Carnamah District Agricultural Society. Darkie died in 1996 and Hazel in 2007.