Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born 26 July 1910 in Corryong, Victoria

Father George Garing, retired grazier and Mother Amy Eveline Garing (nee Jewell) - (both deceased)

Educated at Corryong Higher Elementary School, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and
Royal Military College, Duntroon, A.C.T.

1928               Began career as Electrical and Mechanical Engineer

1929               entered R.M.C. Duntroon, as specially selected R.A.A.F. cadet,
                      graduated Flying-Training School in Australia (Point Cook, Victoria)

10/12/1930      enlisted into RAAF at Melbourne, Victoria
                       place of enlisting Point Cook, VIC

1931                School of Air Pilotage and Specialist Navigation School U.K.

1934-35           Seaplane Flying Instructor
1936                Chief Navigation Instructor, Point Cook

1938                Commanded Seaplane Squadron Point Cook, conducted first Specialist Air Navigation
                       course in Australia
1939                posted to United Kingdom
1939                served with No 10 Australian Sunderland Squadron R.A.A.F. as Flight Commander in
                       Coastal Command R.A.F.;  operations in North Atlantic, France and Mediterranean (DFC).

Dec 1939         Pembroke Dock, England - An original Sunderland Aircraft Captain of
                      No.10 Squadron RAAF

1940               Married - Robin Margaret Mildown Garing (nee Punchard) - marriage later dissolved
                      - son Robert William Garing
                      - daughter Sherrin Garing
 

***service record needs to be ordered through National Archives of Australia.

July 1940         Flying Officer W H Garing, a Pilot of No. 10 Squadron RAAF, based at RAF Station
                      Mount Batten, which operated Sunderland aircraft with RAF Coastal Command.

22/10/1940      London Gazette - awarded "Distinguished Flying Cross"
                       "after he held off three waves of German bombers, over 12 hours, that were attacking
                        the Armed Merchant Cruiser Mooltan on 31/7/1940.  Bill was instrumental in ensuring
                        that survivors of the City of Benares were picked up on 25/9/1940."
                        - for valour on the 31st July 1940 when he attacked five enemy aircraft who were strafing
                           a ship the H.M.T MOOLTAN

1940                Flew Lord Lloyd to France for discussions with Petain Government prior to collapse
                       of France, and subsequently was pilot to H.R.H. the Duke of Kent, Mr. Eden (late
                       Lord Avon) and others (Atlantic Star, mentioned in Despatches).

1941                Returned Australia, appointed Senior Staff Officer Headquarters, Northern Area
                       (extended from Netherlands Indies through New Guinea, British Solomons to New
                        Caledonia)

1/1/1941          London Gazette - awarded "Mention in Despatches"

1942                Commanded No.9 (Operational) Group R.A.A.F. New Guinea; Milne Bay Campaign

1942-43           Buna Campaign (awarded American D.S.C. by General Macarthur)

11/1/1943        London Gazette - awarded "CBE" - Commander of the Order of the British Empire

1943                Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Group Captain Garing RAAF handed over his post
                       to his successor Group Captain McLachlan.

1943-44           Commanded No 1 Operational Training Unit, East Sale, Victoria

1944                Director Operational Requirements R.A.A.F. Headquarters

1945-46           S.A.S.O. to R.A.A.F. Representative, Washington, DC, USA
                       subsequently appointed R.A.A.F. Representative; (1939-1945 Star)

1948                Joint Services Staff College, U.K.

1951                appointed ADC to His Majesty King George VI

1952                Imperial Defence College, London, England

January 1953    Group Captain Bill (William Henry) Garing CBE, DFC completed a year's study at the
                       Imperial Defence College London, England; he would shortly take command of the
                       RAAF's Overseas Headquarters in London.
                       In the interim he joined 78 Wing RAAF for five weeks of intensive armament practice
                       in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Feb. 1953         He stood beside a Vampire aircraft of 78 Fighter Wing RAAF; the Wing insignia,
                       featured a kangaroo. Group Captain Garing spent his leave completing five weeks of
                       armament training with the Wing in Cyprus, as well as a course in instrument flying
                       on Meteor aircraft.
                       Afterwards he returned to London to take command of the RAAF's Overseas Headquarters.

1953-54           Air Commodore Bill Garing CBE, DFC, enters Australia House, London.
                       R.A.A.F. Representative Australia House, London

1954                2nd Marriage - Marjorie Garing (nee Smith) in England
                       - daughters Phillipa Garing
                       - daughter  Deidre Garing

Post war Appointments:-
A.O.C. R.A.A.F. Pearce W.A.
Commandant School of Land / Air Warfare, Williamstown , N.S.W.
A.O.C. R.A.A.F. Amberley, QLD
A.O.C.Overseas Headquarters, London
A.O.C. R.A.A.F. Richmond N.S.W.
Commandant R.A.A.F. Staff College, Point Cook, Victoria
Air Officer South Australia and officer Commanding R.A.A.F. Edinburgh Field, Salisbury, S.A.

Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, (F.A.I.M.).

Holds First Class Air Navigator's Certificate (Aust.) and is Air Master Navigator (R.A.F).

His last rank was Air Commodore Headquarters Edingburgh, South Australia

He logged more than 3900 hours and flew more than 90 aircraft types as Captain-in-Command.

29/7/1964        Retired from service

1964                appointed Executive Director, Rothmans-National Sport-Foundation.

1971-75           appointed Commercial Relations Manager of Alfred Dunhill Australia Ltd.

1977-79           Co-ordinator Masonic International Festival.

In his final decade he became something of a cult figure at RAAF history conferences, sometimes outraging
but usually delighting with his recollections of how the war in the Pacific was really fought and won. Bill Garing
could reasonably claim to have been Australia’s most successful operational-level Air Commander in the Pacific.
He was a unique, respected and, ultimately, loved figure in Air Force circles.

Resided in a Nursing Home in Sydney, New South Wales.

1/1/2004          he died of a long illness
Buried in:          Northern Suburbs Memorial & Crematorium, Chatswood, NSW

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  12/7/2016.  Lest we forget.

Thank you to William's second cousin Audrey Poynton, for her information.