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Stephen Kendall Harry Tizzard (1945-2022)

Stephen ‘Steve’ Kendall Harry Tizzard was born in Canberra, ACT on 27 March 1945, a brother to Helen and Heather. He became a RAAF Apprentice directly from high school. On 10 May 1963 he joined the Army as 215225 and six days later began his Recruit Training at 1 RTB, Kapooka. Four and a half months later he commenced Corps Training with the Artillerywhere he qualified as an Artillery Signaller & Surveyor. He was then posted to 7 Field Regiment, RAA.

On 16 July 1965 Steve commenced officer training at OTU and was allocated to 16 Section, 6 Platoon under Captain Phil Clover. His ‘Brothers’ were Lyle Brown, Bryon Hayes, Terry Properjohn and Willis Wight with John McNeil who did not graduate. In senior term Steve was the Section Commander of 16, Section. His ‘Son’ was Cadet Warren Thatcher.

He graduated with his class on 18 December and joined the Australian Staff Corps. Steve was allocated to the RAA to await flying training. He commenced Basic Flying Training with Course 60 at Point Cook in January 1966. Passing Basic Flying Training, Steve then undertook Operational Conversion Course 8/66 (Fixed Wing) at RAAF Amberley. On completion of his flying training, he was posted to 1 Aviation Regiment (formerly HQ 1 Division Army Aviation Regiment). This posting included four months of flying training in PNG. Between 8 January and 17 December 1968 Steve flew 972 missions with 161 Recce Flight in Vietnam. While in Vietnam, on 1 July 1968, he transferred to the newly raised Australian Army Aviation Corps.

On 15 June 1966, 547 Signals Troop, a highly classified unit, arrived at Nui Dat. The troop quickly showed its worth. 161 Recce Flight’s fixed wing aircraft were quickly tasked to carry 547’s equipment and an operator. The Flight flew two sorties of two hours each a day. In September 1968 Steve Tizzard was on such a flight when his Cessna suffered a mechanical failure. A forced landing in a wet paddy field near Courtenay Rubber Plantation followed. The aircraft was recovered by a Chinook helicopter, but unfortunately load stability problems led to the aircraft being dropped from about 30m height and as stated in the book Possums and Bird Dogs ‘wasn’t much good for anything after that!’

Returning to Australia, on 18 February 1969, Steve was posted back to 1 Aviation Regiment. He was then posted to the RAF(UK) on Long Term Studies as a Student Flying Instructor, on 15 April 1969. Later that year Steve returned to Amberley and the Aviation Training Squadron (later known as the Army Aviation Centre) as a Flying Instructor.

A year later he was posted to 183 Independent Recce Flight in PNG as the Squadron 2IC and as a Flying Instructor. 183 Flight had been raised in Amberley in 1968 and deployed to Lae, PNG, to replace a Detachment of two C180 aircraft based at Port Moresby since 1965. The flight was disbanded in 1976.

Steve was seconded to 1 Flight Training School, RAAF Point Cook, on 28 August 1972, with the rank of Major, as the Senior Instructor. He was also the Chief Flying Instructor of the RAAF Flying Club. From there, on 30 December 1974, Steve was posted to Operations Branch, Canberra, as a Staff Officer Grade 2, dealing with a variety of complex non-aviation matters. This was followed a year later with a posting as OC 173 General Support Squadron. The squadron was formed at Oakey on 17 February 1974, a part of 1 Aviation Regiment.

It was initially operating Pilatus Porter aircraft, but in 1978 received eleven Government Aircraft Factory Nomad aircraft. During this time, the squadron undertook a variety of Army co-operation roles utilising the short take-off and landing characteristics of its aircraft. On 5 December 1977 Steve returned to the School of Army Aviation. Two years later he received his last posting, to the Airworthiness Branch, Department of Defence. Steve retired on 13 May 1984.

Post-Army Steve was the Manager/Chief Flying Instructor of the Canberra Aero Club. Next came roles as the Flying Operations Inspector, CASA Australia, policy studies, legislation development, where he wrote two manuals. He was on leave without pay from CASA when he was the Controller Air Safety in Fiji. Then Steve was the Principal Flying Operations Inspector in Oman. Then he was the CEO of Recreational Aviation Australia, an organisation that had about 10,000 members and 4,000 aircraft.

Steve had been a member of the City of Queanbeyan RSL sub-Branch since 1973. In February 2013 he was elected to the Sub-Branch committee and became Secretary in June 2016. Steve carried out all duties of Secretary of this large sub-Branch attended CSDC meetings and State Congress. He gave ANZAC lectures at schools and undertook funeral duties.

Steve married twice. Cherry Rose (nee Westland) Tizzard died on 12 January 2013. He divorced his second wife. Steve was the adored father of Charlie, Edward (dec) and Abbey. The cherished Grandfather of William, Max, Elvy, Cherry & George. The funeral service for Steve was held on 22 November 2022 commencing at the Duntroon Anglican Chapel, Royal Military College Duntroon. Burial followed at Queanbeyan Lawn Cemetery, RSL Section, Jerrabomberra.

This article reproduced from "The Scheyvillian", 2/23 - newsletter of the Officer Training Unit Scheyville 1965-73 Association