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Australia

Ross Milton STANFORD DFC, OAM (1917- 2006)

Ross Stanford was born in Fulham Gardens on 25 September 1917.  Educated at Richmond Primary School and later Price Alfred College, after school his early working years were spent with the State Bank, on transfer to the Murray River towns of Waikerie and later Tailem Bend.

When a recruiting train arrived in town, Ross Stanford quickly signed up but he hadn't counted on the report of the Medical Officer.  Stanford was a skilled cricket player and had once received a severe blow on the back of his head from a cricket ball.  The Medical Officer considered that this posed a risk that could affect his flying at 20,000 feet and declared him unfit for flying duties, despite the fact that he had fully recovered.

He made another attempt four months later in Adelaide and on the advice of a Corporal in the Adelaide recruiting office made no mention of the concussion and he breezed through his medical.  He had t o wait another four month on the Reserve list before being called up, and then he was on his way to No. 4 Initial Training School at Victor Harbor, where he was screened for pilot training.

He was then posted to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School at Parafield, then No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Mallala, where he flew Avro Ansons and Airspeed Oxfords, being designated for training as a bomber pilot.  From there he was off to Sydney to await embarkation for the UK.

On arrival in England, he then continued his training first with No. 22 Elementary Flying Training School (a 'refresher') on Tiger Moths for four weeks, before once again taking to the skies in the Oxford twin engine trainer at RAF Ramsbury.  It was then on to Staffordshire and No. 27 OTU at RAF Lichfield as part of No. 6 Group Bomber Command.  Here, he converted to the Vickers Wellington bomber.

He crewed up at Lichfield with the men with whom he would go to war; Alan Jordan (WOP), Tom Butler (Navigator) George Clarke (Bomb Aimer) and Gordon ‘Blue’ Venables, the rear gunner.

Next stop was RAF Swinderby to No. 1660 Heavy Conversion Unit where they converted to the Avro Lancaster.  They picked up two more crew, Eddie Judson (Flight Engineer – invariably RAF) and Les Griffiths the mid-upper gunner.  Blue Venables was grounded because of eye troubles and Arthur ’Blondie’ Rushton replaced him.

The crew was assigned to No. 467 Squadron an RAAF Lancaster Squadron at RAF Waddington.  While there,  he and his crew did particularly well on a practice bombing exercise which must have attracted attention for not long after they were re-assigned to No 467 Squadron, joining the Squadron on 4th February 1944.

Ross Stanford and his crew went on to fly a total of 47 raids 24 of which were with No. 617 Squadron.  He ended the war as a Flight Lieutenant, and returned home to Adelaide after de-mobilisation.  He initially resumed work with the State Bank but later joined the family business as a market gardener, for which the area around Fulham and Lockleys was well known.  He retired in 1967 but worked for a number of charities and was the Australian representative for the Cheshire-Ryder Foundation and the 617 Squadron Association.  He was awarded the OAM in 1991, as was his wife Joyce ten years later.

Pre-deceased by his wife Joyce in 2001 before she could receive her OAM, Ross Stanford passed away in Adelaide on 11 July 2006, aged 88 years.

Source:  'Australia's Dambusters' Burgess, Colin 2021 Simon & Schuster (Australia) Pty Ltd ISBN 9781760859237

Compiled by Steve Larkins 15 July 2023