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Son of Charles William and Nellie Stumm, of Chelmer, Queensland, Australia; husband of Lorraine Juliet Stumm, of Hazelbrook, New South Wales, Australia. B.A. (Queensland University); B.A., B.C.L. (Oxon); Rhodes Scholar.

"SO MUCH TO DO, SO LITTLE TIME TO DO IT" CECIL RHODES

STUMM, Harley Charles, W/C (70656) - No.11 Sqn - Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded as per London Gazette dated 16 July 1943. Born 29 August 1913 in Gympie, Queensland, Australia, Educated at Soutport School, St. Johns College, University of Queensland and Balliol College, Oxford on Rhodes Scholarship where he enrolled in the University Air Squadron. Commissioned as Pilot Officer, Class AA, 10 December 1936. Transferred from AA to Class C, 2 October 1938. Flying Officer, 7 October 1939. Flight Lieutenant, 3 September 1940. Squadron Leader (temporary), 1 September 1942. Squadron Leader (war substantive), 5 April 1943. Commanded No.45 Squadron (first Mosquito unit in Gar East). Killed in flying accident (Mosquito crash, HP939, possible structural failure), 13 May 1944 as Wing Commander, commanding No.167 Wing; buried in Madras War Cemetery. Citation in AMB 10777.

This officer has taken part in many operations since the outbreak of war. He now commands a squadron and has displayed exceptional powers leadership. By his enthusiastic example he has inspired his unit to the utmost efforts against the enemy. He has led his wing on numerous daring sorties against the enemy in Burma and throughout he has maintained a high standard of skill, courage and devotion to duty.

The following from “Find a Grave” website:

At Oxford he took up flying joining the Oxford University Air Squadron and took flying lessons, gaining his Certificate of Competency in June 1936. Living at Balliol College, he played Rugby for the Greyhounds, the Oxford second IV. In his summer vacation in 1936, he went to the XIth Olympiad in Berlin and sent off a series of reports published in the Queensland newspaper. Graduating in mid 1938, he obtained his degree as Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Arts and had been called to the English Bar. Utilising his writing skills he worked as a reporter for the Sunday Express for three months before returning to Australia with girlfriend Lorraine who had followed him to London after first meeting at a University of Queensland Football match at the Brisbane Exhibition Grounds. Back in Brisbane he was admitted to the Bar and worked as a Barrister and also did some writing as a columnist for the Sunday Truth. His Football career continued being selected in the inter-city rugby union matches and was an 'emergency' for Queensland duties.

In July 1939, he married his fiancé Lorraine Streeter who was to become the only Australian Female World War II War correspondent. He was called up to the RAF to serve in Singapore He had a distinguished career and even coached the RAF team to victory in the inter-service rugby union competition. Attaining the rank of Wing Commander and a decoration in the form of a D.F.C, he commanded 11 Squadron 1943-44 and the 45 Squadron in 1944. In his spare time Harley wrote. His first manuscript “After Victory” was printed in Singapore. In this he argued that only a world union, starting with a union in Europe, would prevent world wars from occurring. At the time his ideas were considered idealistic and wishful, but now that the European Union is a reality, his vision seems very prescient. He also published A Rifle and Kay, an adventure/love story whose two main characters were based on himself and Lorraine.

https://forum.rafcommands.com/forum/research-bibliography-and-online-sources/biographies-profiles-and-unpublished-citations/31515-w-c-harley-charles-stumm-no-11-squadron-dfc (forum.rafcommands.com)

Charles Stumm (29 August 1913 – 13 May 1944) Charles Stumm was born in Gympie on 29 August 1913, only son to the Stumm family, of the property "Penlan Downs" in the Longreach area. After completing his schooling at The Southport School, Stumm enrolled at the University of Queensland in 1932 to study Arts-Law. Stumm took up residence at St John’s College at Kangaroo Point and quickly became involved in University life. He represented the College in rowing, cricket and athletics, the University in rowing and rugby union and was a member of the Combined Australian Universities' Rugby Football Team which toured Japan in 1934. He was also an active member of the dramatic and debating societies. Stumm met his future wife, Lorraine Streeter, also a student of the University of Queensland, at a rugby match at the Brisbane Exhibition ground. She wrote in her autobiography entitled I saw too much: a woman correspondent at war that he impressed her as "a tall, handsome man, with dark curly hair, a cheery smile and a big voice". In Stumm's application for the 1935 Rhodes Scholarship the headmaster of The Southport School wrote: "Generally I consider him to be a splendid type of young Queenslander - sincere, manly and honourable, who would not only hold his own at Oxford but would strongly commend Australian manhood at that university." He completed his final examinations in November and while studying to be admitted to the Queensland Bar he read in the Chambers of barrister Mr B.F. Fahey. Stumm was admitted as a barrister on 3 May 1935. Having won the Rhodes Scholarship, he set sail for England in August 1935. They had arranged that after Lorraine graduated with her Degree of Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Journalism, she too would set sail to England to join him. In November 1936 she subsequently sailed in the Orion and in London earned her living and made a career for herself as a journalist. At Oxford Stumm entered Balliol College, studied Law and read at Lincoln's Inn in London. He was awarded his Bachelor of Arts with third class honours in Jurisprudence in 1937 and his Bachelor of Civil Law in 1938, and was admitted to the English Bar. In Michael White T.C.Beirne School of Law: A History, 2nd ed. 32 the "Report for Year 1936/7 on Rhodes Scholars from Queensland" the Warden of Rhodes House wrote that Stumm was: "Of sterling quality and character, who has a high sense of responsibility, and whose industry has been untiring. He radiates honesty and good nature, and is esteemed by everybody." During his time at Oxford Stumm joined the Oxford University Air Squadron and took flying lessons, gaining his Certificate of Competency in June 1936. They subsequently returned to Brisbane and Lorraine and Stumm married on 1 July 1939 at St Mary's Church, Kangaroo Point and lived in a little flat at Kangaroo Point. Only six weeks later Stumm received a cable stating he was to report immediately to RAF Headquarters in Singapore and he left on his 26th birthday. His wife later joined him in Singapore where again she supported herself as a journalist and she wrote that at that time, "No one dreamed that Singapore was in danger". He was naturally literate and in his spare time Stumm wrote and his manuscript After Victory was printed while he was in Singapore. In this he argued that only a world union, starting with a union in Europe, would prevent world wars from occurring. At the time his ideas were considered idealistic and wishful, although the advent of the European Union has given some weight to his vision. He also published A Rifle and Kay, an adventure/love story whose two main characters were based on himself and Lorraine. On 22 June 1941 their daughter Sheridan was born. On 8 December 1941 the first Japanese planes raided Singapore. In January 1942 Lorraine and baby Sheridan were evacuated to Australia, just before the fall of Singapore on 14 February 1942. Stumm flew on 70 raids against the Japanese and his squadron moved from its Singapore base to Sumatra and when Sumatra was about to fall the squadron moved again and Stumm flew an old Hurricane to their new base but the aircraft lost power over Central Java and landed heavily in a paddy field. He fractured every bone in his face and was knocked unconscious, but was revived by some Javanese who rescued him from the wreck and took him by ox cart to the nearest police station. From there he was transported to an Australian hospital ship evacuating the wounded to India and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). After he recovered in a hospital in Colombo he was posted to the RAF 11 Squadron of Blenheim Bombers and in November 1942 became its new Commanding Officer, promoted to Acting Wing Commander. The Squadron carried out many operations against the enemy over Burma, and in July 1943 as a result of these operations, Stumm was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Michael White T.C.Beirne School of Law: A History, 2nd ed. 33 Lorraine was determined to join her husband and she and their daughter survived the many war time hazards of the sea voyage and arrived in Colombo Harbour in 1944. Stumm had not seen his daughter, now three, since she was six months old. Against all the rules Stumm flew down from India and the family flew back to Delhi together in his squadron Mosquito bomber. On arrival at the military airport, Lorraine Stumm wrote, "A young RAF airman ran across to the bomber and said, "Who are these civilians, what are they doing in a military aircraft?" Stumm, now a Wing Commander in charge of 45 Squadron, said: "This (pointing at his wife) is a war correspondent (which was true) and this (pointing at Sherry) is her typewriter. That is an order." "Yes sir," said the airman…He got away with it, heavens knows how…" About six weeks after their arrival in India, on 13 May 1944 two Mosquitos, one of which was flown by Stumm, were engaged in a fighter operational training exercise with some B25 aircraft. Witnesses said the Mosquitos turned together after passing through the B25s but when executing a half loop Stumm's "machine seemed to just break up" in a major mechanical failure. His plane became uncontrollable and crashed and he and his co-pilot died in the accident. 35 Lorraine was devastated and she and Sheridan returned home to Brisbane and later continued with her career and eventually remarried.

https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UQLRS/2016/4.pdf  (classic.austlii.edu.au)