Australians From RAAF Point Cook Joining RAF August 1937 Few Questions

[paulmcmillan]

Looking at 25 (or 24) P/O's who joined RAF on 26th Aug 1937
Service Nos: 40040 to 40064 Inclusive

They all went off to short courses a various FTS

1) Firstly can anyone Confirm that Albert Francis McGHIE #40055 Born 3 Jan 1916 Died Weybridge Surrey, UK 24 December 1986. Later Sqn Ldr was Australian? I assume he was as all the others in his group were He went to 6 FTS on 18th Sept 1937 and then 12 Sqn 8 Jan 1938


2) The following two airman, were first to Join Operational Sqns, what FTS did they go to ?

Oliver John Trevor LEWIS he joined 37 Sqn 27 Nov 1937
John Frederick McKINLAY he joined 102 Sqn 27 Nov 1937


3) Did all these Airmen have AUS Service Numbers if so what were they, I can only find

Robert Wilton BUNGEY 40042/257414
Augustus Rodney GIBBES 40048/257505
Gregory Forsyth GRAHAM 40049/257525


Full List of this airmen are Join Date , Initial RAF Rank and RAS Service Number are

Benjamin Southam AMBROSE 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40040
Walter Michael BLOM 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40041
Robert Wilton BUNGEY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40042
Leslie Redford CLISBY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40043
John Frederick DILWORTH 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40044
William Henry EDWARDS 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40045
Allan Leonard FARRINGTON 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40046
Charles Horace FRY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40047
Augustus Rodney GIBBES 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40048
Gregory Forsyth GRAHAM 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40049
Arthur Leonard George HUBBARD 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40050
Donald Harry HUNTER 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40051
John Connolly KENNEDY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40052
John William Edward LEIGHTON 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40053
Oliver John Trevor LEWIS 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40054
Albert Francis McGHIE 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40055
John Frederick McKINLAY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40056
Norman Henry Edward MESSERVY 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40057
Allen Roy MULLIGAN 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40058
Robert James REED 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40059
Ellis Henry ROSS 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40060
John Tulloch Burrill SADLER 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40061
Walter Bruce SKINNER 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40062
Stuart Crosby WALCH 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40063
Kevin Harrold WALSH 26th Aug 1937 P/O 40064



Many Thanks


Paul

[paulmcmillan]

Answered my own question 10 FTS 1 Sept 1937

Oliver John Trevor LEWIS he joined 37 Sqn 27 Nov 1937
John Frederick McKINLAY he joined 102 Sqn 27 Nov 1937
Gregory Forsyth GRAHAM he joined 151 Sqn 27 Nov 1937
Arthur Leonard George HUBBARD he joined 38 Sqn 27 Nov 1937

McKINLAY was AUS 277477

[paulmcmillan]

A. F. McGhie was from Australia (N.S.W)

[vrajm]

Hi Paul,

DILWORTH, John Frederick - (Wing Commander); Service Number - 40044; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Lancaster ED815; Place - Boesinger, Germany; Date - 25 February 1944

Page 9/31: He did not serve with the Royal Australian Air Force.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=1066354&S=17&N=31&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=1066354&T=P&S=9

Regards
Mojmir

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi Paul,

DILWORTH, John Frederick - (Wing Commander); Service Number - 40044; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Lancaster ED815; Place - Boesinger, Germany; Date - 25 February 1944

Page 9/31: He did not serve with the Royal Australian Air Force.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Gallery151/dist/JGalleryViewer.aspx?B=1066354&S=17&N=31&R=0#/SearchNRetrieve/NAAMedia/ShowImage.aspx?B=1066354&T=P&S=9

Regards
Mojmir

Dilworth was an Air cadet in the RAAF, 15-7-1936 to 26-8-1937

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10680890

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

All

On 29 June 1927, the following Cadets at 1 FTS (RAAF) graduated in order of merit: —
Deryck William Kingwell (Q), H. A. Durrant (Q), Thomas Spencer Ingledew (N.S.W) , John William Daniell (WA)
Dudley Thomas Forsyth (V) Frederick William Ball Mann ,
(N..S.W.), Edgar Bruce Courtney (V) L R Clisby
(S.A.), R. J. Reed (W.A.), N. H. E. Messevy (Q)
G. F Graham (V.). A. R. Gibbbes
(N.S.W.), J. F, McKinlay (Q.), O. J T
Lewis (N.S.W.), S. C. Walch (Tas.), A. L.
C. Hubbard (N.S.W). C. H. Fry (N.S.W)
A. L. Farrington (N.S.W.). J. T. B. Sadler
(Tan.), D. H. Hunter (N.S.W) J. W E.
Leighton (N.S.W.), J. F Dilworth (N.S.W)
A. R. Mulligan (N.S.W) J. C. Kennedy
(N.S.W.), K. H. Walsh (S.A.), K. H. Ross
(N.S.W.L W. B, Skinner (S.A.), R. W.
Bungey (S.A.), W. H. Edwards (N.S.W.), W.
M. Blom (Tas.), A. F. McGhie (N.S.W)
B. S. Ambrose (Tas.).

As you can see, the first "7" all stayed in Australia with RAAF and the rest travelled to the UK. I image the RAAF had 'first dabs/picks' on the Cadets.

Anyway I can trace all but one of these men to a service number(s) in RAAF

Deryck William Kingwell (Q) O346 ,
H. A. Durrant (Q),
Thomas Spencer Ingledew (N.S.W) -- O347
John William Daniell (WA) -140
Dudley Thomas Forsyth (V) -141
Frederick William Ball Mann (N..S.W.), -> O210636
Edgar Bruce Courtney (V) 143 (-O348)

So as Mojmir suggests the 25 UK students did not actually 'join RAAF' and probably only gained a Aus Service number if they subsequently joined RAAF from RAF

The only mystery man is H. A. Durrant I can't trace him at all and suspect he didn't join RAAF in 1937 and disappeared

Their was a Pilot in Aus in 1930's called Harold C. Durrant who appeared to be in RAAF who may or may not be same man (I doubt) Harold C. Durrant crash landed Puss Moth VH-UQB 18 May 1936 Sydney and maybe Flying-Officer as A7-33 D.H.60G Gipsy Moth of 22 Sqn Richmond 25/01/38.

An Anson (unidentifed) Forced Landing Nr Thorby piloted by Flt Lt Durrant on 9 June 1938 Ournie Albury Melbourne Upper Murray Valley as well

I can't ID any of these Durrant 's

Paul

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

You will find your "Mystery" man, here:

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=1046271

Harry Allen Durant AFC, passed away in the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Melbourne, on 15 May, 1968.

He was involved in the following fatal accident:

http://www.adf-messageboard.com.au/invboard/index.php?act=calendar&code=showevent&eventid=82

See also: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article183519332

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

Col

Thanks - no wonder could not find him Durant NOT Durrant

Service Number 167 and I see he won AFC for Anson Force Landing. Always handy to have defence minister as passenger. Suspect he was also pilot of A7-33 D.H.60G Gipsy Moth of 22 Sqn Richmond 25/01/38.

Paul

[paulmcmillan]

Suspect he was also pilot of A7-33 D.H.60G Gipsy Moth of 22 Sqn Richmond 25/01/38.

May be not..

H C Durrant is actually

Harold Cecil Durant ex RAF

http://simplyaustralia.net/article-jkl-shirley.html


https://www.flickr.com/photos/anmm_thecommons/8088588391

"
The Gipsy Moth aircraft seen above could have been the one owned by a Mr Harold C Durant. Harold Durant was a World War I pilot who often took 'Sydney Morning Herald' photographers in his plane to take aerial photographs. On 15 January 1938, he crashed his Gipsy Moth into the sea about 45 metres from Cronulla Beach whilst performing a stunt display for the North Cronulla surf carnival. Durant escaped with minor injuries."

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello,

Here is a photo of the DH 60M that crashed at Cronulla, NSW, on 15-1-1938. Later impressed into RAAF as A7-118:

https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-UOZ.html

Col.

[paulmcmillan]

Col got it now

"Their was a Pilot in Aus in 1930's called Harold C. Durrant who appeared to be in RAAF who may or may not be same man (I doubt) Harold C. Durrant crash landed Puss Moth VH-UQB 18 May 1936 Sydney and maybe Flying-Officer as A7-33 D.H.60G Gipsy Moth of 22 Sqn Richmond 25/01/38. "

That was all wrong

Harold Cecil Durant Moth Crash 15th Jan 1938 was VH-UOZ

And "A7-33 " is incorrect completely

Thanks

paul

[Acorn50640]

Dilworth was an Air cadet in the RAAF, 15-7-1936 to 26-8-1937

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10680890

Col.

John F Dilworth was my grandfather and I am interested in finding out more about him if anyone can help. Sometime ago I came across a website which gave me the details of the plane he was flying at the time he died, how many sorties etc etc. but cannot find the website again. My mum was only 9 months old when he was killed so she knew nothing about him and since she died 3 years ago all I have are some photos...
Thanks in advance

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Acorn50640,

Was this the website you came across?

http://aircrewremembered.com/dilworth-john-frederick.html

or maybe http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/jack-hewitson-1565879-100th-sqdm-sgt-rear-gunner-lancaster-ed815-kia-schweinfurt-raid-25-feb-1944.26051/

Take a peek here as well: http://rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?28061-DFCs-to-Frederick-Dilworth-Donald-F-Gillam-Kenneth-R-Rogers-100-Squadron&p=166578#post166578

F/Lt Dilworth was seconded to the RAAF, April 1940 to April 1942.

40044 F/Lt. J. F. Dilworth RAF (GD/Pilot).

Arrived in Australia (with his wife), April 1940.

22 Sqn RAAF, Richmond (NSW) - April 1940.
2 SFTS RAAF, Wagga (NSW) - (Instructor) - 1 July 1940*.
CFS (Central Flying School) RAAF, Camden (NSW) - (Instructor) - April 1942.
Departed Australia April 1942.

* https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=1158581 (see p.45 of 514).

Col.