Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

This Anzac Day I would like to pay my respects to my father, Warrant Officer Gordon Frank Cathro, Service Number 417991, RAAF. Enlisting at 18 years 1 month on the 12 September 1942 as Air Crew, then Air Gunner 29/4/43, Flight Sargent 29/10/43 and becoming a Warrant Officer on 29/10/44.

Trained in Victoria before being assigned to the 13 Squadron 21/10/43 in Canberra, moving to Cook Town, then Gove (Nhulunbuy) Northern Territory.

Two months after being formed at Darwin on 1 June 1940, 13 Squadron commenced day-night training, shipping security patrols, and weekly patrols of Australia's northern coastline. These activities continued until February 1941. The first detachment to the Pacific theatre, which left on 7 December 1941 for Ambon, suffered badly at the hands of Japanese bombing and strafing raids on the airfields in January 1942.

The unit survived the Japanese raids on Darwin, having moved to an inland airfield just weeks before the 19 February attack. After moving to Hughes airfield, squadron aircraft harassed Japanese positions on Timor and made reconnaissance, photography, and search flights. In September, the squadron sunk a Japanese ship in the vicinity. It moved to Canberra on 19 April 1943 to convert to Beaufort and Ventura aircraft. Detachments to Coffs Harbour and Camden undertook coastal and sea patrols.

In mid-1944 the unit relocated to Cooktown in Queensland and then to Gove in the Northern Territory. It commenced anti-submarine operations and escort duties for the remainder of the year. In early 1945 squadron aircraft took part in combined attacks on enemy-held islands, destroying many Japanese vessels around the coast of Sumbawa. June and July were spent relocating to Morotai and then Labuan, where the unit dropped supplies and assisted in the evacuation of Australian prisoners of war. The squadron was disbanded at Labuan on 11 January 1946.

A fun fact Dad liked to share was that Gough Whitlam was posted to 13 Squadron RAAF in 1943.

On 27th January 1945, Dad was involved in an aircraft accident when the Ventura PV1 he was flying in with five other crew crashed into the sea whilst carrying out training exercise in gunnery. Three died in the crash and three made it into a dinghy, my dad included.

After Dad’s plane failed to return, other aircraft were despatched to search but deterioration in the weather necessitated the recall before they were found. Dad said two of the aircraft were seen however the visibility was bad due to rain and they had hesitated to use their only Distress Marine signal as a consequence. On 28th January, more aircraft were sent out, however they weren’t rescued until 810 in the morning of the 29th of January. Dad said the sound of the Catalina aircraft coming was the best sound ever.

Unfortunately, one of those saved passed away not long after being rescued and diving operations carried out to try and find those who perished failed.
Dad suffered shock and exposure, and it was thought other than that he was ok. He did later suffer from back injuries from the crash that impacted the rest of his life.

Discharged in November 1945, Dad went on to marry Hazel Oppermann and raise a family, retiring as a storekeeper for a form of the Civil Aviation department at the Adelaide Airport.

Always a keen volunteer, he was a Coast Guard member for many years, and established the 4th Squadron down south, an RSL member of the North Glenelg Sub Branch which established a Boys Club where he was a representative and a committee member in 1960 to 63. Dad also served on the sub branches committee holding the post of President 1971, 73; and a committee man 1964,66,67,68,70,71,72,74,75,76.

He also volunteered as a Purple Lad at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and grew seedlings for Trees for Life.

Lest we forget.


Links:
https://www.ozatwar.com/raaf/13sqn.htm
Virtual War Memorial | Gordon Frank CATHRO
RAAF crash record