Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4396420

MEMBERS OF 8 PLATOON, A COMPANY, 2/27TH INFANTRY BATTALION, GIVING A CHOCOLATE TO A HALF STARVED NATIVE BOY AS THEY PAUSE FOR A REST ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOWN OF SAMBODJA.

The Kings and Regimental Colours of the 2nd/27th Battalion, laid up in Scots Church North Terrace Adelaide

ADVANCE INFANTRY PATROL OF THE 2/27TH AUSTRALIAN BATTALION MOVE FORWARD TO OCCUPY THE HEIGHTS OVERLOOKING EL ARDUN.

The Vultee Vengeance single engine dive bomber which equipped 12 Squadron RAAF.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=3018044

https://www.geni.com/people/Eduards-%C4%80be%C4%BCkalns/6000000054919361222

George_Edwin_Rogers_Nominal_Roll_Image.jfif

https://www.ancestry.com.au/sharing/27494347?h=6fa4a0&utm_campaign=bandido-webparts&utm_source=post-share-modal&utm_medium=copy-url

Jack_Antonio_Death_Notice_Sat_13_Nov_1915_The_Age_Trove.jpg

SA State Library PRG 280/1/29/73 Mounted soldiers of the South Australian Light Horse Regiment on parade for a Colour Presentation ceremony at Morphettville racecourse, South Australia

E Regiment at Gawler Army Camp

This list is a work in progress and is incomplete as it is being compiled from fragmentary records of individual airmen. No. !86 Squadron commenced operations as a Heavy Bomber Unit in October 1944 15 October 1944 First raid of the reformed 186 Squadron. Francis John COOK aircraft lost. 20 October 1944 John Robert FREERS AIrcraft shot down by night fighter on raid to Stuttgart Germany, over Luneville , NW France Wallace Patrick BURTON aircraft lost. Herbert Keith COOMBE aircraft lost Arthur Edward Jarvis STILES aircraft lost George Edward WILLIAMSON. DFC aircraft lost 11 January 1945 152 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H raid on the railway yard in the Uerdingen suburb of Krefeld. No aircraft lost. 13 January 1945 158 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the railway yards at Saarbrücken. The bombing appeared to be accurate, though with some overshooting. 1 Lancaster crashed in France. 16 January 1945 1138 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the benzol plant at Wanne-Eickel. No results known. 1 Lancaster lost. 28 January 1945 153 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked the railway yards at Cologne/Gremberg in conditions of good visibility. Some of the bombing fell on the target but some overshot. 3 Lancasters were lost and 1 crashed in France. 2/3 February 1945 495 Lancasters and 12 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups to Wiesbaden. 3 Lancasters crashed in France. This was Bomber Command's one and only large raid on Wiesbaden. There was complete cloud cover but most of the bombing hit the town. 5 important war industries along the banks of the Rhine were untouched but the railway station was damaged. 14 Febraury 1945 Dresden raid. 20/21 February 1945. William Charles JAMES aircraft lost. 514 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked Dortmund in Bomber Command's last large-scale raid on this target. 14 Lancasters lost. The intention of this raid was to destroy the southern half of Dortmund and Bomber Command claimed that this was achieved. 22 February 1945 167 Lancasters of No 3 Group in forces of 85 and 82 aircraft to oil refineries at Gelsenkirchen and Osterfeld. A Film Unit Lancaster of No 463 Squadron, No 5 Group, accompanied the Gelsenkirchen force. Both targets were accurately bombed in clear weather conditions. 1 Lancaster lost from the Gelsenkirchen raid. 25 February 1945 153 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the synthetic-oil refinery at Kamen. 1 Lancaster lost. 26 February 1945 149 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the Hoesch benzol-oil plant at Dortmund through cloud. No results were seen but the bombing appeared to be concentrated. No aircraft lost. 28 February 1945 156 Lancasters of No 3 Group in a G-H raid on the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant at Gelsenkirchen. No aircraft lost. 1 March 1945 151 Lancasters of No 3 Group attacked an oil plant at Kamen through cloud. 4 March 1945 128 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud on Wanne-Eickel. No results were seen. 6 March 1945 119 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack through cloud on the Wintershall oil refinery at Salzbergen. 1 lost. 7/8 March 1945 526 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3, 6 and 8 Groups raided Dessau. 18 Lancasters lost, 3.4 per cent of the force. This was another devastating raid on a new target in Eastern Germany with the usual town centre, residential, industrial and railway areas all being hit. 10 March 1945 155 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out a G-H attack on the oil refinery at Scholven/Buer. Photographs taken later showed this to have been a very accurate and effective raid. No aircraft lost. 12 March 1945 1,108 aircraft - 748 Lancasters, 292 Halifaxes, 68 Mosquitos attacked Dortmund. This was another new record to a single target, a record which would stand to the end of the war. 2 Lancasters lost. Another record tonnage of bombs - 4,851 - was dropped through cloud on to this unfortunate city. The only details available from Dortmund state that the attack fell mainly in the centre and south of the city. A British team which investigated the effects of bombing in Dortmund after the war says that, 'The final raid … stopped production so effectively that it would have been many months before any substantial recovery could have occurred’. 14 March 1945 169 Lancasters of No 3 Group carried out G-H attacks through cloud on oil plants at Datteln and Hattingen (near Bochum). Both attacks appeared to be accurate but no results were seen. 1 Lancaster lost from the Hattingen raid. Kenneth Barry KEMMIS aircraft lost 4/5 April 1945 327 Lancasters and 14 Mosquitos of Nos 3, 6 and 8 Groups attacked the synthetic-oil plant at Leuna. The target was cloud-covered, the bombing was scattered and only minor damage was caused. 2 Lancasters lost. 186 Squadron lost FOff Beck's aircraft and crew. 9/10 April 1945 591 Lancasters and 8 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 3 and 8 Groups to Kiel. 3 Lancasters lost. This was an accurate raid, made in good visibility on two aiming points in the harbour area. Photographic reconnaissance showed that the Deutsche Werke U-boat yard was severely damaged, the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer was hit and capsized, the Admiral Hipper and the Emden were badly damaged. The local diary says that all 3 shipyards in the port were hit and that the nearby residential areas were severely damaged. 13/14 April 1945 377 Lancasters and 105 Halifaxes of Nos 3, 6 and 8 Groups to Kiel. 2 Lancasters lost. This raid was directed against the port area, with the U-boat yards as the main objective. Bomber Command rated this as 'a poor attack' with scattered bombing. 18 April 1945 969 aircraft - 617 Lancasters, 332 Halifaxes, 20 Mosquitos - of all groups attacked the naval base at Heligoland, the airfield and the town on this small island. The bombing was accurate and the target areas were turned almost into crater-pitted moonscapes. 3 Halifaxes were lost. 20 April 1945 100 Lancasters of No 3 Group bombed the fuel-storage depot at Regensburg accurately. 1 Lancaster lost. This was the last raid in the current campaign against German oil targets which had been waged since June 1944. Much of Bomber Command's effort during this period, sometimes at considerable loss, had been devoted to these oil operations, which had helped not only the Allied ground forces on the Western Front but also those fighting in Italy and on the Eastern Front.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1877389?image=1

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48850087?searchTerm=%22James%20Walter%20Stevens%22

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/43771531?searchTerm=%22James%20Walter%20Stevens%22

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48765085?searchTerm=%22James%20Walter%20Stevens%22

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/148811571/james-painter

1939_Electoral_Roll_-_Painter.jpg

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/565362/ROE,%20RICHARD%20DAVID

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1969957

https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1068891/document/5590280.PDF

https://supremecourt.nt.gov.au/about/judges/former-judges/acting-judge/lawrence-eric-clarke

https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=54383

https://supremecourt.nt.gov.au/about/judges/former-judges/acting-judge/lawrence-eric-clarke

https://supremecourt.nt.gov.au/about/judges/former-judges/acting-judge/lawrence-eric-clarke

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=701725&c=WW2#R

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/128874886?

Glenelg_Primary_School_Register_1906.jpg

https://www.1wags.org.au/

The crew's first operation was flown with the Squadron Commander as aircraft captain, and Jeff Clarson as 'second dickie'. The next operation was 30th October 1944, their first under Jeff Clarson's command. This was a daylight raid, to bomb German positions on Walcheren Island. On both these two operations, they dropped 13,000 pounds of bombs (6 tonnes). The next operation was at night, against Coblenz on 6th November 1944, dropping a 4,000 bomb and 12 cans of incendiary bombs. South west of Aachen, they had contact with a German JU88 night fighter; twin-engined radar-equipped and very heavily armed with cannon. It was spotted directly above them but hadn't spotted them so they were able to slip away undetected. On the 11th and 15th November 1944, a daylight operation was flown on an oil refinery at Ickern near Dortmund. They dropped 12,000 pounds of bombs, and four days later returned to drop 12,000 pounds of bombs on an oil refinery at Dortmund. On the following day, it was another daylight operation, bombing German troop concentrations north of Aachen. They encountered heavy radar-directed flak. On 20th November 1944, they again attacked oil refineries in daylight at Homberg. As well as dropping bombs, they also dropped leaflets, probably designed to encourage the German citizenry to give thought to surrendering. On the following day (21 November 1944), they paid a return visit to Homberg, again bombing the oil refineries. Then on the 26th November 1944, they bombed the railway marshalling yards at Fulda, northeast of Frankfurt. This was the deepest penetration by RAF bombers into Germany in daylight. They were airborne for 6 hours and 5 minutes. The next day 27th November, they bombed the railway marshalling yards at Cologne in daylight, and encountered intense flak, but sustained no damage. On December 2nd 1944, they bombed the gas works at Dortmund in daylight, with moderate flak. TEN Ops completed Their next operation, again in daylight, was to bomb a dam at Schwammanuel, however the operation was aborted because of the heavy cloud cover over the target, and they had to drop their bomb load in the Channel. December 6th 1944 was a night operation to Merseburg, to bomb a synthetic oil plant. There was intense flak, and they had to land at Woodbridge. December 11th 1944 was a daylight operation to Osterfield marshalling yards. On the following day, they bombed marshalling yards and steelworks at Witten, near Essen, and sighted German fighters but were not intercepted. This was their 13th operation in five weeks, a very intense rate indeed. They then took five days leave, during which all airfields were closed because of fog. The Squadron transferred to Stradishall, Suffolk on December 17th 1944, and the crew resumed operations from there on December 28th when they made a daylight attack on marshalling yards at Cologne, followed by a daylight attack on marshalling yards at Vohwinkel, near Remscheid on New Year's Eve. 1945 commenced with a daylight raid on an oil plant at Castrop Rouxel, when for the first time their aircraft was holed by flak, and their Engineer was slightly injured. Upon return, they found an unexploded anti-aircraft incendiary shell in the wing spar between the petrol tanks, and there were 50 holes in the aircraft, including a large hole in the tail. The aircraft never flew again. At this point they picked up the aircraft that they would see out the war in - 'M for Mike' tail number Next was a daylight operation to Erkenswick on January 15th 1945, to bomb coke and ammonia works. They then had a break doing GH training. On January 28th 1945, they bombed marshalling yards at Cologne. There was moderate flak. There was further GH training until February 9th, when they had a night operation to Hohenberg, near Duisburg, to bomb marshalling yards. On the February 13th 1945, they went to Dresden on a night operation for a saturation attack on a Russian tactical target. Bombed from 20,000 ft. 1 x 4,000 pound bomb and 4 cans of incendiaries. There was only light flak. TWENTY Ops completed Their next operation on February 18th 1945, was in daylight to Wesel, north of the Ruhr. Light flak was encountered The following day i they flew another daylight operation to Wesel. On February 22nd 1945, a daylight operation to Gelsenkirchen, to bomb a power station and coke plant. Intense and accurate flak for 20 minutes was encountered, and the starboard inner engine knocked out. 2 holes in the front turret, and 2 in the tail. On February 25th 1945, it was a daylight operation to Kamen nr. Dortmund to bomb the synthetic oil refinery. Moderate and accurate flak. Once again, they went to Gelsenkirchen on February 27th 1945 in daylight to bomb the Benzol plant. Moderate flak. February 28th 1945, it was a daylight operation once again to Gelsenkirchen to bomb the synthetic oil plant. (Note here that the crew loathed going to Gelsenkirchen). On March 2nd 1945, another daylight operation to Cologne. Light flak. On March 5th 1945, back to Gelsenkirchen again by daylight to bomb the Benzol plant. Moderate flak, but A/C severely damaged, all tanks holed except one. Port outer engine hit twice. 6-inch x 12- inch hole in elevator. 40 holes in A/C. Then on March 6th 1945, it was a night operation to Wesel, where they encountered only light flak. On March 9th 1945, it was a daylight operation to Datteln to bomb the coking plant. They got home on three engines. THIRTY Ops Completed - which would normally have been deemed a full tour. March 18th 1945, a daylight operation to Hattingen to bomb the Benzol plant. Moderate and accurate flak. March 21st 1945, another daylight operation. This time to Munster to bomb the railway marshalling yards. Intense flak. March 23rd 1945, daylight operation to Wesel. Troop concentrations prior to Rhine crossing. Light flak. March 27th 1945, daylight operation to Hamm, to bomb coking plant. Light flak. The crew's last operation was at night to Kiel, to bomb the German fleet and Naval barracks. They were coned over the target, attacked by S/E fighter, and there was heavy flak. This was the same day that the Admiral Scheer was sunk. On this last operation, they were lucky to survive, as they were nearly involved in a mid-air collision with another Lancaster. The crew credited their survival to the quick thinking of both Jim Hepburn, their Flight Engineer and the exceptional flying skills of Jeff Clarson, their pilot, Michael Veitch has recorded this story in his magnificent book "FLAK" (Chapter 36).

https://www.centennialpark.org/memorial-search-list/wilfred-joseph-pearn-122693/

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/105583389?