Description
Object description
Australian NCO served as wireless operator/air gunner with 32 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Papau New Guinea, 1942; officer served with 100 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Papau New Guinea, 1943; served with 24 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Australia and Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands, Dutch East Indies, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment and training as wireless operator/air gunner with Royal Australian Air Force in Australia, 1940-1941: enlistment, 1940; training as wireless operator/air gunner at Central Gunnery School, Royal Australian Air Force at RAAF Cressy; air gunnery training on Commonwealth Wirraway aircraft; ranks of air gunners; technique for air gunnery; role of wireless operator. Recollections of operations as wireless operator/air gunner with 32 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Papau New Guinea, 2/1942-3/1942: incident of being attacked by Japanese fighters; patrolling; blind spots for air gunner in Lockheed Hudson Mk I; conditions in aircraft over mountain range; airstrips used in Port Moresby area; unit losses; damage to aircraft and wounding of crew during attempt to evade Japanese fighters in which he shot down Japanese fighter; shooting down of Japanese floatplane; attitude to Lack of Moral Fibre (LMF) cases.
REEL 2 Continues: flying experience of pilots; opinion of Japanese fighter pilots. Aspects of period as signal officer with Royal Australian Air Force, 1942: reasons for loss of Bristol Beauforts; personalities; transporting battle fatigue casualties and Japanese prisoners of war from Papau New Guinea. Aspects of period as wireless operator with 100 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in New Papau Guinea, 1943: story of commanding officer and pilot argument over who would fly aircraft on mission; opinion of Bristol Beaufort. Aspects of operations as wireless operator with 24 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force in Australia and Morotai Island, Moluccas Islands, Dutch East Indies, 1944-1945: duties as wireless operator; bombing attacks on Japanese targets on Java; Japanese fighter attacks on squadron Consolidated Liberator formation; flight routine; amusing story of post-war encounter with witness to incident when his aircraft was damaged and crew wounded during service with 32 Sqdn, Royal Australian Air Force, 1942; story of narrow escape for civilians in Dutch East Indies, 1945.
REEL 3 Continues: leaving Royal Australian Air Force, 1945; problems with Consolidated Liberator on taking off. Physical condition during service in Papua New Guinea, 2/1942-3/1942.