Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

A memorial to the 460 Squadron crew lost on 13th June 1943

Nine Elms British War Cemetery - near Popereinge Belgium

A Short Sunderland Mk.III (EK573/P) of No. 10 Squadron RAAF on the water after alighting to rescue 3 survivors from a Vickers Wellington of No. 172 Squadron RAF, clinging to a one-man dinghy (seen at right) after being shot down in the Bay of Biscay while attacking a German submarine on 26 August 1944. Although it was forbidden for flying boats to alight on the open sea in rescue attempts, the pilot of the Sunderland, Flight Lieutenant W.B. Tilley, decided the survivors could wait no longer for surface craft to arrive, and touched down to pick them up for a safe return to Mount Batten, Devon (UK). A fourth member of the Wellington crew, Flying Officer R.B. Gray RCAF, refused to risk the lives of the other survivors by overloading the dinghy, although he was seriously injured. He succumbed during their fifteen-hour ordeal at sea and was awarded a posthumous George Cross. The pilot of the Sunderland of No. 10 Squadron RAAF who made the hazardous sea landing and take-off was Flight Lieutenant William Boris Tilley DFC of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia).

Australian delegates at the Japanese surrender ceremony on board USS Missouri. Left to right: (back row) Captain J. Balfour; Lieutenant Colonel D. H. Dwyer; Air Vice Marshal G. Jones; Lieutenant General F. H. Berryman; Commodore J. A. Collins. Front row: Rear Admiral G. Moore; General Sir Thomas Blamey (who signed for Australia) and Air Vice Marshal W. D. Bostock.

P40 Kittyhawk A29-82 of 2 OTU in flight - similar Curtis P40 Kittyhawk aircraft were involved in fatal accidents at 2 OTU.

Studio portrait of Captain (Capt) Ronald Gilbert Horwood MM (left) and Capt Clarence Everard Pellew (right). Paris, France. October-December 1918

Studio portrait of 808 Private (Pte) Antonio Augustine Picone, 6th Machine Gun Company from Stawell, Victoria (born in Italy). A 19 year old fruiterer's assistant prior to enlisting on 14 June 1917, he embarked for overseas with the 15th Reinforcements from Melbourne on 26 November 1917 aboard SS Indarra. Following further training in Egypt and England and a period of illness in England, he arrived in France on 22 August 1918 and joined the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion. Pte Picone arrived back in Australia on 6 February 1920.

British gunnes try to drag an 18 pounder gun out of the mud. This photo was taken in August 1917, before winter rains set in and made the task of deploying artillery almost impossible.

The pilot of a Handley-Page Halifax of No. 35 Squadron in his position prior to take-off at Linton-On-Ouse, Yorkshire. Date between circa 1940 and circa 1942

3495A Gunner (Gnr) Harold Constantine 5th DAC

Studio portrait of 427775 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Harry James Boyd, No. 24 Squadron, of Pomborneit North, Vic. Boyd enlisted as a private, service number V170264, in the Citizens' Military Forces in Oct 1941. In September 1942 he enlisted in the RAAF. On 23 March 1945, Flt Sgt Boyd was the 2nd pilot, and one of twelve men on board, of Liberator aircraft A72-80 which left RAAF Truscott to undertake reconnaissance over the Lombok Strait and island of Bali. Shortly after take off, A72-80 developed engine trouble and crashed into Vansittart Bay, WA. All on board were killed. Flt Sgt Boyd was 22 years of age.

No. 625 Squadron, RAF based in Yorkshire. Flying Officer Ian Denver, DFC, RAAF, front row, fourth from left. He is wearing the distinctive darker blue uniform of the RAAF in WW2. Denver and his crew flew 16 missions before being transferred to No. 156 (Pathfinder) Squadron, where they flew a further 32 together.

39-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal (UK service), 39-45 British War Medal, 39-45 Australian War Medal

9708 Boothey Stanley Field RH#9

1986 Simpson Trophy - Winning Team 10RSAR Team1. L-R Capt Graham"Growler" Growden, Sgt Wayne Birch and Capt Steve Larkins. Dean Range Port Adelaide

The Vickers Armstrong QF 2 pounder Anti Tank Gun which equipped Australian Anti Tank / Tank Attack units. Although outclassed by the armoured protection of modern tanks such as the German Pzkw III and later so was hard pressed in the Middle East in WW2, it was more than adequate to deal with Japanese tanks encountered in the SW Pacific exemplified in the ambushes conducted in the Malaya campaign.

A dugout in the Tobruk area with ships ventilators or 'punkas' erected by the Australian Engineers in occupation

Major Graham Growden

S/N 1 Lt Edward Addy pth Australian Infantry Battalion is remembered on the Catfield War Memorial, the village of his birth.

S/N 1 LT Edward Addy, 9th Australian Infantry Battalion Pieta Cemetery Malta

The front cover of Alex Kerr's wartime experience as a bomber pilot member of the 'Catepillar Club' and PoW

A colourised version of a photograph taken in the same sequence as. It shows two key colour schemes applied to RAAF Hudsons immediately prior to and during the early stages of WW2. A16-3 is painted matt black underneath, the others a sky blue. A16-38 is painted foliage green on the upper surfaces, the other two have a disruptive pattern with dark earth applied.

36211 Gunner Ralph French, 3rd Field Artillery Brigade

Crews and Hampden aircraft of No 50 Squadron at Waddington after the raid on shipping off Bergen, 9 April 1940.

An Avro Lancaster Mk III of No. 50 Squadron late in the war - Squadron codes 'VN' clearly visible

Photographed during WW2 service

2015 photograph

PBY Catalinas on the hardstanding at No. 1 FBRD at Lake Boga in Victoria

An informal squadron briefing at 24 Squadron - A72-80 in shot at rear of he group of men walking towards the camera.

Flying Officer Vic Hodgkinson

WW1 (post Dec 15) and WW2 Home service - British War Medal, Victory Medal, British War Medal WW2, Australian Service Medal 39-45

Opening of the Villers Bretonneux Memorial and adjacent cemetery 1938. Two years later it was overrun by another invadng German Army

George Mitchell shortly before the award of the Military Cross at Dernancourt

G for George a tribute to all RAAF Aircrew who flew with RAF Bomber Command

A No. 431 Squadron Lancaster B Mk III running up its engines.

Short ‘Empire’, VH-ABB ‘Coolangatta’ of QANTAS. Impressed by RAAF as A18-13 and allocated to 11 Squadron RAAF. It was returned to QANTAS on 13 July 1943, but crashed in Sydney Harbour on 11 October 1944.

HMAS Perth engaged in the Battle of Sunda Strait 1 March 1942, during which both HMAS Perth and USS Houston were sunk.

Approximate dispositions of the Battle of Sunda Strait 1 March 1942

Short ‘Empire’, VH-ABB ‘Coolangatta’ of QANTAS. Impressed by RAAF as A18-13 and allocated to 11 Squadron RAAF. It was returned to QANTAS on 13 July 1943, but crashed in Sydney Harbour on 11 October 1944.

Short ‘Empire’, VH-ABB ‘Coolangatta’ of QANTAS. Impressed by RAAF as A18-13 and allocated to 11 Squadron RAAF. It was returned to QANTAS on 13 July 1943, but crashed in Sydney Harbour on 11 October 1944.

Informal portrait of 407016 Squadron Leader W. K. Bolitho DFC of Mannum, SA, pilot, of No. 11 (Catalina) Squadron RAAF.

Lance Corporal Frank Albert BROWN, 43rd Infantry Battalion RH # 65

Private later Lance Corporal Frank Albert BROWN 43rd Bn AIF

Map depicting the Battle for Greece, and key German axes of advance and key battles.

Australian troops crammed on to the deck of a warship bound for Greece

Edwards with his wife, left, and mother-in-law, right, leaving Buckingham Palace after attending an investiture ceremony at which he was awarded the VC.

Sir Hughie Edwards medals and decorations: VC, DSO, OBE, DFC, 1939-45 Star, Aircrew Europe Star, Africa Star, Burma Star, Defence Medal, British War Medal 1939-45, General Service Medal (Malaya) clash, QE II Coronation Medal, QE II Silver Jubilee Medal. KCMG and CB are neck decorations not shown in this set.

SIr Hughie Edwards as Governor of WA 1974-75

ACDRE Edwards's Medal Group and Neck decorations displayed in the AWM Canberra.

Lt Marjorie Hill, physiotherapist, treats a patient at 109 AGH, Alice Springs, 1942.