Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Flight Sergeant Arthur James Freckleton Facey (Service No:11523) enlisted in the RAAF at No 1 Recruiting Centre Melbourne as an Aircraftman I on 1 August 1940 - mustered as Trainee Technical and later as Fitter Armourer. Described in his Attestation Papers (NAA) as 'a sober, honest and respectable man', he was promoted to Leading Aircraftman and was attached to Armament School Point Cook and No 1 School of Technical Training Melbourne. In 1941 LAC Facey was attached to General Reconnaissance School (GRS) Laverton and Station HQ Williamtown before embarking from Sydney for the UK on 17 July 1941. Stationed in the UK from 1941 to 1944, LAC Facey was promoted through the ranks to Flight Sergeant and served with 455 Squadron Swinderly and 460 (Lancaster) Squadron Binbrook, where he was engaged in maintenance of Lancaster Bomber aircraft. Flight Sergeant Facey embarked from the UK for Brisbane on 2 October 1944, and was attached to 1 Aircraft Performance Unit (APU) at Discharge on 24 September 1945.

Arthur was born in Warragul, Victoria in 1907, second of six children of James Anthony Facey (b1878 in Cranbourne, Victoria) and his first wife Susannah (Susie) Chester Freckleton (b1881 in Crossover, Victoria). James (a Farmer) and Susie married in 1903 in Cranbourne, and lived in Carrajong, Gippsland where James was a Farmer, and in Beech Forest, Coarngamite where James worked as Horse Driver. Following Susie's death in 1918, James remarried and settled in Barangarook, Colac where he worked as a Sawmiller.

Arthur worked for more than seventeen years as an Electrical Mechanic/Electrician in Yarram, Victoria for Yarram Electrical Hydro Coy before enlisting in the RAAF in 1940. In 1933 in Horsham, Victoria, Arthur married Leila (Lal) Kathleen Winifred Burke (b1930 in Dunnolly, Victoria). Following his Discharge from the RAAF, Arthur and Lal settled in Yarram, Victoria where they raised their family and Arthur was an Electrician. Arthur died in 1985 and Lal in 1993.