Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Corporal Joseph James Dent (Service No:38826) enlisted in the RAAF at 1 Recruiting Centre Perth on 29 May 1941 as an Aircraftman I - mustered as Photographer. In 1942 ACI Dent served with Survey Flight (SF) Canberra and was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on 19 March 1942. During 1942, LAC Dent was attached to 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU) Laverton, and in the Northern Territory with 55 Operational Base Unit (OBU) Birdum and 13 Squadron Hughes Field at Coomallie Creek. Promoted to Corporal on 1 December 1942, he was based in Tocumwal and Townsville, and was attached to 25 Squadron at Discharge on 15 November 1945.

Joe was born in Perth, WA in 1919, the eldest (and only surviving) child of John Dent (b1887 in Staffordshire, England) and Louisa Fitzjohn (b1890 in Staffordshire, England) John (a Carpenter and Joiner) and Louisa married in Staffordshire in July 1914 and immigrated in October that year, arriving in Albany, WA on board the Ceramic. John and Louisa settled in Victoria Park - making several return visits to England - where John worked as a Carpenter and Joiner.

Joe was an Apprentice Joiner with Australian Lumber Coy in Perth when he enlisted in the RAAF in 1941 - an amateur photographer, he mustered as a Photographer when he enlisted. In 1943 in Perth, Joe married Gwendoline (Gwen) Mary Thomas (b1923 in Perth, WA) and, following his Discharge, he and Gwen lived in Victoria Park and Gosnells, where they raised their family and Joe worked as a Joiner and Cabinetmaker. Joe died in 2003 and Gwen in 2018.