Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Thomas Baker's Pilots Course. Baker is circled (right) and a colleague Packer is circled left.

'White Coolies' originally published in 1954, re-released and the basis for the movie "Paradise Road"

London Cemetery and Extension at Longueval, from the entrance Portico.

William Frayne's medal set: L-R 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

657 St Elmo Rupert CORBETT - Prior to departure HMAT Hororata

A Centurion tank in position behind a protective bund at FSB Balmoral

Ronald (Ron) Henry Parsloe 24 Squadron Gunner/Navigator

Informal portrait of the crew of a Lancaster bomber of 467 Squadron RAAF prior to a night mission. Identified, left to right: 1352851 Sergeant (Sgt) Eric Reginald Hill, RAF, mid upper gunner of Weald, Essex; 423311 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Gilbert Firth Pate, RAAF, rear gunner of Belmore, NSW; 1350279 Sgt Kenneth Harold Tabor, RAF, flight engineer; 425413 Flt Sgt Alistair Dale Johnston, RAAF, wireless operator, of Melbourne, Vic; 400495 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Donald Philip Smeed Smith, DFC, RAAF, pilot of Melbourne, Vic; 412686 Warrant Officer Royston William Purcell, RAAF, navigator of Werris Creek NSW; 658844 Flt Sgt Jeremiah Parker, RAF, bomb aimer of England. The aircraft pictured is most likely the Lancaster Mark III bomber LM475 (PO-B). This was the usual aircraft flown by the crew listed above which crashed whilst on a mission over Lille, France, on 10 May 1944, of which only the pilot, Sqn Ldr Smith survived. Two weeks prior to this mission, bomber pilots were authorised to wear seat-type parachutes instead of the standard backpack that was stored in the plane and only hooked in case of need. This most likely saved Sqn Ldr Smith's life; on landing by parachute he made his way cross-country through France and Switzerland, and back to England several months later.

Another map minus unit dispositions but more clearly displaying key locations within the defensive perimeter

LONDON, ENGLAND. 1944-02-01. 400297 SQUADRON LEADER E. C. SMITH DFC, HORSHAM, VIC (LEFT) AND 402071 FLIGHT LIEUTENANT F. B. GASCOIGNE DFC, EAST MALVERN, VIC, WHILE SERVING WITH NO. 461 (SUNDERLAND) SQUADRON RAAF, OUTSIDE BUCKINGHAM PALACE AFTER AN INVESTITURE. THEY HAVE FLOWN TOGETHER AS CAPTAIN AND NAVIGATOR RESPECTIVELY ON MANY OPERATIONS

ACW Mavis Jessie Whiteford, was employed as a DMT (Driver Motor Transport) at HQ North Eastern Area Command.

Captain Henry Samuel COPE MC, 43rd Battalion RH#16

Stanley Holm Watson - from an image on the Railways Memorial Adelaide Railway Station Concourse.

5111 Pte Thomas HIRD

No. 467 Squadron's 'S for Sugar' being bombed up at Waddington Yorkshire. This redoubtable airframe survived the war having completed 132 missions. It is reserved in the RAF Museum at Hendon near London.

Hand coloured studio portrait of Pilot Officer Henry Rose, DFC, of No. 156 Squadron (RAF), Pathfinder Force

Headstone of William Atkinson 4655 at Cheltenham Memorial Park, Victoria.

HMAS Bataan, a destroyer, off the Korean Peninsula. The destroyer is seen here engaged in receiving a jackstay transfer from the Royal Navy carrier HMS OCEAN. It is sufficiently clear to show the late Commander Warwick Gracegirdle, RAN - BATAAN 's Korean War CO - on the bridge. This photo is taken off Korea, and the destroyer in the background is HMS CONSORT. Photo: Photographer unknown, the image was published in 1986 for the RAN's 75th Anniversary celebrations. The image is held in the Naval Historical Collection, Australian War Memorial, image ID 300378, listed copyright expired, public domain. It has also been posted on an InvisionFree ship modeller's blog. These are the AWM's descriptive notes that accompany the image: KOREA. ELEVATED PORT SIDE VIEW SHOWING DETAIL OF THE FORWARD PART OF THE DESTROYER HMAS BATAAN (EX-HMAS KURNAI) (D191) AS SHE RECEIVES PERSONNEL BY HIGHLINE FROM THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER HMS OCEAN. NOTE FORWARD TWIN 4.7 INCH MK XII GUNS IN CP XIX MOUNTINGS, WITH THE BREECHES OF B MOUNTING PROMINENT AND THE 40 MM BOFORS AA GUN IN THE PORT BRIDGE WING. BEHIND THE BRIDGE ARE THE DIRECTOR CONTROL TOWER AND RANGEFINDER TOWER MK II WITH A TYPE 285 FIRE CONTROL RADAR MOUNTED UPON THE LATTER. NOTE ROPE STOWAGE IN THE BLAST SCREEN FORWARD OF B MOUNTING AND CARLEY FLOATS BY THE FORWARD SUPERSTRUCTURE WITH PADDLES NEATLY ARRAYED. THE SCREENING DESTROYER IN THE BACKGROUND IS HMS CONSORT. (NAVAL HISTORICAL COLLECTION)

RAF STATION LEUCHARS, SCOTLAND. 1943-06-04. MEMBERS OF THE GROUND STAFF OF HAMPDEN TORPEDO-BOMBER NO. 455 SQUADRON RAAF OF COASTAL COMMAND. ON TOP OF THE AIRCRAFT, STANDING, LEFT TO RIGHT: 6728 CORPORAL (CPL) A. E. RYAN, BRISBANE, QLD; 10165 CPL W. C. KENNAUGH, NORTHCOTE, VIC; 17741 LEADING AIRCRAFTMAN (LAC) R. A. LOFTUS, PERTH, WA; 15273 CPL S. F. YOUNG, HABERFIELD, NSW; 15009 LAC V. MERCHANT, NEWCASTLE, NSW; 15001 LAC N. H. GARBUTT, DUNDEE, SCOTLAND; 33236 AIRCRAFTMAN 1 (AC1) E. H. LUKES, NORTH SYDNEY, NSW; 6682 LAC F. C. B. LAGETTIE, CABRAMATTA, NSW; 22379 LAC J. E. SCHATZ, GREENSLOPES, QLD; 10200 SERGEANT (SGT) L. D. PATIENCE, MELBOURNE, VIC; 27063 CPL H. R. TURNER, WEST TANKS, SA; 33255 AC1 E. C. HENRY, WAVERLY, NSW; 24056 LAC R. M. WARNER, YUBBA, NSW; 24100 LAC W. J. WALKER, BURWOOD, VIC. SITTING: 6808 CPL R. E. GARDE, UNDERCLIFFE, NSW; 12110 SGT C. ETCHELLS, ASHFIELD, NSW. STANDING, BACK: 10279 LAC L. L. WALLER, PENHURST, VIC; 968331 LAC N. HIBBLE, NEWCASTLE, RAF; 8761 LAC J. J. GARDNER, NOTTINGHAM, RAF; 6849 LAC F. J. PRITCHARD, CARLTON, NSW. STANDING, FRONT: 6585 LAC G. L. DOWNER, BRISBANE, QLD; 15013 LAC D. A. MATHEWSON, TOTTENHAM, NSW; 15979 LAC H. T. GROENNOU, LEICHHARDT, NSW; 10275 LAC S. W. POPE, ST KILDA, VIC; 14527 CPL S. V. WEATHERBY, NORTH BONDI, NSW; 9200 SGT F. R. MARCH, ADELAIDE, SA; 10162 CPL J. A. WILLIAMS, KINGSWOOD, VIC; 6035 FLIGHT SERGEANT H. ORR, BRISBANE, QLD; 2823 FLYING OFFICER WILSON, BRISBANE, QLD; 1796131 AIRCRAFTMAN W. VALENTINE, BONNY BRIDGE, SCOTLAND, RAF; 1400829 AC1 K. S. COLLIVER, BRISTOL, RAF; 13245 LAC J. LEFOE, MELBOURNE, VIC; 20187 CPL N. R. SIVYER, EAST MOREE, NSW; 1865049 AC2 D. V. FISHER, ESSEX, RAF; 10691 SGT F. J. SHAW, MELBOURNE, VIC; 21465 LAC W. A. M. FORBES, NEWCASTLE, NSW.

L-R British War Medal and Victory Medal

Australia's first military radio transmission / reception - Station B - a a cave near Waterfall Railway Station

R237 ADDEMS Percival Edward 2333

417812 Flight Sergeant Ronald Irving Cummings (3rd from right - back row)

The sinking of troopship SS 'Ballarat' which took place on 25 April 1917 in the English Channel. A submarine torpedoed the 'Ballarat', which was carrying Australian troops from Melbourne to England. Efforts made to tow the ship to shallow water failed and she sank off The Lizard the following morning. No lives were lost of the 1752 souls on board.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2599269?image=1