BRADFORD - WEST, James
| Service Number: | 57828 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 15 June 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Born: | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 20 May 1908 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Public Servant |
| Died: | Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia, 1999, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 15 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 57828 | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Dec 1945: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 57828 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Flying Officer, 57828, Royal Australian Air Force |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Chris Buckley
Jim was the eldest of five children of David Westerman (born 1858 in Northern Ireland) and Marjorie Bell (born 1875 in Freestone, QLD). David was a Labourer when he immigrated to NSW, arriving in 1883 on board the Cardigan Castle. David was a Book Keeper in Brisbane, QLD when he married Marjorie in 1907. They settled at Taringa in Brisbane, where David was a Storekeeper.
Jim was a Draughtsman with the Lands Survey Department when he married Emily Estelle Wall (born 1905 in Ipswich, QLD). Jim and Emily settled in Brisbane, QLD and in 1934 Jim won first prize in an Australian Broadcastin Commission competition for original plays and sketches by Australian writers (The Telegraph, Brisbane QLD; 21 November 1934; p17).
In June 1942 Jim enlisted in the RAAF as a Leading Aircraftman (Service No:57828). He completed the RAAF Administrative and Special Duties Course in 1943 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette; Thursday 30 September 1943; Issue 214; p2200). Jim was a Flying Officer attached to AFHQ DWB W6 when he was Discharged on 7 December 1945. Brothers Robert Bell (Service No:414440) and Thomas Benjamin (Service No:405000) also served in the RAAF in WWII.
Jim and Estelle Divorced in 1944 and Jim settled in Sydney, NSW with Barbara Grace, where he worked as a Photographer, Editor and Salesman. Jim died at Surfers Paradise in QLD in 1999.
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