William Nicholas Pax (Bill) COSGROVE

COSGROVE, William Nicholas Pax

Service Number: 400140
Enlisted: 23 June 1940
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: No. 30 Squadron (RAAF)
Born: Randwick New South Wales Australia , 12 November 1918
Home Town: Richmond (V), Yarra, Victoria
Schooling: Xavier College Melbourne Victoria, Australia
Occupation: Photographer
Died: Flying Battle, New Guinea, 11 August 1943, aged 24 years
Cemetery: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
Plot A3 Row E. Grave 2. Local Roll of Honour- Melbourne Victoria Australia , Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Bomana, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Narromine Aviation Museum Memorial Wall
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Flight Sergeant, 400140
23 Jun 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 400140, No. 30 Squadron (RAAF)
23 Jun 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 400140, No. 2 Initial Training School Bradfield Park
10 Mar 1941: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant
1 Feb 1943: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant
8 Feb 1943: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 400140, No. 5 Operational Training Unit Forest Hill, Air War SW Pacific 1941-45
25 Apr 1943: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 400140, No. 30 Squadron (RAAF), Air War SW Pacific 1941-45

The Flight of the Scorpion

On Saturday 7march 1942, twelve RAF and RAAF personnel set sail for Tjilatjap, Java, in a thirty-foot wooden lifeboat. Their mission: to reach Roebourne on the northern coast of West Australia, some 950 nautical miles away, and bring rescue to the remaining airmen trapped on the island who were in danger of being captured by the enemy. Bill Cosgrove was one of the twelve. Sixty three years later his daughter, Madeleine, wrote a book about the journey which took 44 days. The title: The Flight of the Scorpion. The reason for the title - ‘flight’ depicting the flyboys taking the journey and ‘Scorpion’ as they named the boat depicting the 84 squadron badge motto…Scorpion stings.

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