SANTLEY, William John
| Service Number: | 253711 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 August 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Foster, Victoria, Australia, 1 April 1915 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Saint Augustine's Church of England School, Melbourne,Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Law Clerk (Messrs Scheele & Scheele) |
| Died: | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 19 March 1965, aged 49 years, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Fawkner Memorial Park Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 16 Aug 1940: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 253711 | |
|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 1941: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer | |
| 13 Jun 1942: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer | |
| 1 Aug 1943: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant | |
| 10 Feb 1949: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 253711 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Flight Lieutenant William John Santley (Service No:253711) initially served in the Militia (Gunner, Bombardier; Service No:95321) with 22 Field Brigade (27 April 1933 - 31 October 1935). He enlisted in the RAAF on 16 August 1940 at No 1 Recruiting Centre Melbourne as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Clerk General, re mustered as Cypher. By December 1941 he was commissioned - Pilot Officer - and was attached to HQ Directorate of Signals. On 14 January 1946, Flight Lieutenant Santley 'has volunteered and been accepted for Service in the Interim Force' (NAA). Flight Lieutenant Santley (Area Cypher Officer) received a Commendation from GHQ SWPA for his work in Port Moresby, Madang, Taji, Hollandia, Biak and Morotai for his work during 24 May 1946 to 2 January 1947 when he was atatched to HQ Northern Area and RAAF Station Port Moresby (NAA). Flight Lieutenant Santley was based at Laverton on Termination of his Appointment on 10 February 1949.
Jack was born in Melbourne, Victoria in 1917, youngest of four children of Edwin Albert Santley (b1884 in Alberton via Yarram, Victoria) and his first wife Emma Olivia Lundstrom (b1887 in Solberga, Sweden). Edwin (a Farmer) and Emma married in 1907 in Foster, and settled in the Gippsland region - Foster and Baulkamnaugh via Numurkah - where they raised their family and Edwin was a Farmer. By 1917 the family had settled in Melbourne, where Edwin was a Labourer. Following Emma's death in 1924, Edwin remarried in 1933 to Hilda Mary Adeline Gourley (b1891 in Melbourne, Victoria) - Hilda was a Teacher in Melbourne.
Jack worked as a Law Clerk in Melbourne and Geelong (Messrs Doyle & Kerr), and in 1939 in Melbourne married Alice Annie Merle Magee (b1917 in Melbourne, Victoria). Jack and Alice settled in Melbourne, where Jack was a Law Clerk (Messrs Scheele & Scheele) when he enlisted in the RAAF in 1940. Following his Discharge, Jack and Alice settled in Melbourne, where they raised their family and Jack worked as a Clerk until his death in 1965. Alice died in 2005.
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