Virtual
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Australia

Informal group portrait of RAF ground staff with RAAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force air crew of a Mitchell bomber squadron, 180 Squadron RAF with the Second Tactical Air Force. Left to right: two RAF ground crew, Jock (Fitter) and Alf (Rigger); 422248 Flying Officer (FO) Jack B O'Halloran, pilot of Sydney, NSW, (later Flight Lieutenant and DFC); 417379 Pilot Officer James Crosby (Jim) Jennison (later Flying Officer and DFC) of Adelaide, SA; 422175 FO Reg J Hansen of Sydney, NSW; FO Harry M Hawthorn, RNZAF of Hastings, NZ. The aircraft was lettered D and the pilot named it 'Daily Delivery' and the nose art illustration portrays a stork carrying a large bomb. Location RAF Dunsford Surrey UK

37471 Pilot Officer William Keith Bennett

Don Walch did indeed serve on 226 Sqn. He was 39236 S/L Graham Reese 'Digger' Magill's regular navigator. A snippet from Norman Frank's, "The Greatest Air Battle Dieppe, 19 August 1942 (p.40): "Magill got back safely although his machine (226 Sqn Boston III Z2295 MQ-A), was damaged. Not for the first time did the crest on his Boston get them Home. His usual crew was Pilot Officer Donald Walch, from Tasmania, as navigator, and 'Taffy' Gubbins, air gunner. (Gubbins was away on 19 August, his place being taken by Sergeant S Praeger). The crest consisted of a kangaroo, a kiwi and a welsh dragon on a boomerang, ensuring a return ticket, they hoped!"

25-6-1944 No.21 Sqn Mosquito VI LR373 In a borrowed aircraft, W/C Braham set out on a day patrol to Denmark. His aircraft was intercepted by Fw Robert SPRECKELS, of Stab./JG 1, and shot down into the sea. Braham and his navigator were rescued by a German vessel and became PoWs 40667 W/C (Pilot) John Robert Daniel BRAHAM DSO**DFC** - PoW AUS404489 F/L (Nav.) Donald Curtis WALCH DFC RAAF PoW Interned Stalag Luft III

https://153squadronassociation.weebly.com/brief-history.html

RAAF Fighter Pilots with 56SQN RAF (L to R): Flying Officer Kenneth Watts 420315; Flying Officer Laurence John Henderson 413935; Flying Officer Alexander Stuart Miller 410130

'At NOREUIL on 2nd April, 1917 this Non Commissioned Officer although wounded twice continued to lead his section in the face of heavy Machine Gun and Shell fire, encouraging his men, and continuing to do his duty until receiving his third wound.' Source: 'Commonwealth Gazette' No. 174 Date: 11 October 1917

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1065767&c=WW2#R

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5262985

https://www.bcar.org.uk/scampton-history

Tom Tobin at this investiture for the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Jane Eblen private collection

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=694864&c=WW2#R

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1271858&c=VIETNAM#R

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=1972683&isAv=N

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1267788&c=VIETNAM#R

https://nominal-rolls.dva.gov.au/veteran?id=1279132&c=VIETNAM#R

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=5529957

Studio group portrait of officers of the 27th Battalion. Standing, from left: Lieutenant (Lt) Gordon Campbell Church; Lt James Bichan MacLean; Lt Joseph Otto Julge; Captain (Capt) Percy Gordon Bice. Seated: Lt John Henry Mitchell; Major William Pendennis Devonshire DSO; Lt Claude Cyril John McCann MC; Capt Percy Emil Julge MC and Bar. Inscription reads "To Dear Old Mum. With Best Love From Cyril McCann." One of a collection of portraits, mostly of officers of the 27th Battalion, sent to 'Mum' (presumably Mrs Cotching) during and after the First World War at Cotching, Son & Co's 'The Farm' on Ealing Common near London, where servicemen stayed whilst on leave.

“Blood, Sweat and Fears” ISBN: 978-0-64692-750-3 Medical Practitioners and Medical Students of South Australia who served in WW1