Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

A Centurion tank in position behind a protective bund at FSB Balmoral

Korea, 1952-05. Three officers from 'A' Company, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), share a bottle of beer in a reserve area. The soldiers are (left to right): Captain Brian Poananga, a New Zealander serving with the battalion; 3/40105 Lieutenant Gilmer John (Gil) Lucas MC; 3/395 Major Jeffrey James (Jim) Shelton MC, the company commander. A graduate of the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon, Captain Poananga later became Chief of the General Staff (CGS) in the Royal New Zealand Army (RNZA).

Gallipoli Medallion, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

QX10333 CPL Athol Bayly - SIgnatures of Sqn personnel in a group photo

Robert Stanley PILLAR's headstone Rookwood Cemetery, Sydney

QX10333 Athol 'Ned' Bayly - on right. Middle East, probably mid 1941

Some of the Australians involved in the Dams Raid. Most were not to survive the War.

A SQN in Syria

QX10333 Athol 'Ned' Bayly in his first suit

QX10333 CPL Athol 'Ned' Bayly - Crossing the equator certificate on the way to Middle East aboard the Queen May

Avenue of Honour Bacchus Marsh postcard, ca 1950

Thomas Baker's Pilots Course. Baker is circled (right) and a colleague Packer is circled left.

Buckingham Palace, London. C. 1943-06. Group portrait taken outside Buckingham Palace after the Queen's Investiture. Left to right 408076 Flight Sergeant T. D. Simpson DFM of Hobart, Tas; 406248 Pilot Officer C. L. Howard DFC of Perth, WA; 407729 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) D. J. Shannon DSO DFC of Bridgewater, SA; Wing Commander G. P. Gibson VC DSO and Bar DFC and Bar, RAF; 407074 Flt Lt R. C. Hay DFC and Bar of Malvern, SA; 402367 Flt Lt J. F. Leggo DFC and Bar of Lake Macquarie, NSW; Flt Lt H. B. Martin DSO DFC of Sydney, NSW, RAF; 407380 Pilot Officer F. M. Spafford DFC DFM of Wayville, SA. They were all decorated for the part they had played in the famous raid on the German dams, led by the Commanding Officer Wing Commander Gibson who was awarded the VC.

Pat Hughes 1940

Four unidentified members of the 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigade machine gun squadron in action at Khurbetha-Ibn in Palestine. The man second from left and slightly forward of the gun is using an optical range finder to give range data to the No. 1 on the gun to apply to his sights to get correct elevation. The No. 2 on the right serves ammunition to the gun; he appears to be wearing a New Zealand 'lemon squeezer' service hat. The man on the far left is the detachment commander who will give adjustments to the No. 1. This image is a colour Paget Plate. Photographer: Frank Hurley

During World War II, the airfield at Deniliquin was primarily a training base. From June 1941 until August 1944, 2206 pilots graduated from No 7 Service Flying Training School. As the end of the war neared, a number of operational units were moved to the base to be disbanded.

Wirraways of No. 2 SFTS, c. July 1941; No. 7 SFTS also operated the type, and inherited aircraft from No. 2 SFTS when it disbanded in April 1942

Three B24 Heavy Bombers of 7 OTU on a training flight in southern NSW in 1944/45

418913 Flying Officer Norman Jack Bowman

DCM, MM, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

No. 180 Squadron B25 Mitchell Bomber taxiing for take off from RAF Dunsfold, Surrey UK June 1944

A B25 Mitchell medium bomber of No. 180 Squadron RAF

Amiens Cathedral

Amiens cathedral from the canal precinct

Amiens Cathedral

Informal group portrait of RAF ground staff with RAAF and Royal New Zealand Air Force air crew of a Mitchell bomber squadron, 180 Squadron RAF with the Second Tactical Air Force. Left to right: two RAF ground crew, Jock (Fitter) and Alf (Rigger); 422248 Flying Officer (FO) Jack B O'Halloran, pilot of Sydney, NSW, (later Flight Lieutenant and DFC); 417379 Pilot Officer James Crosby (Jim) Jennison (later Flying Officer and DFC) of Adelaide, SA; 422175 FO Reg J Hansen of Sydney, NSW; FO Harry M Hawthorn, RNZAF of Hastings, NZ. The aircraft was lettered D and the pilot named it 'Daily Delivery' and the nose art illustration portrays a stork carrying a large bomb. RAF Dunsfold Surrey UK C263114

DCM, MM, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

The Magill Soldiers' Memorial Opening

Sketch map, the action at Isurava, 29 August 1942

England. 1944-06-11. Group of aircrew at No. 180 squadron RAF. Left to right: 405107 Flying Officer (FO) W. Kirk, Brisbane, QLD (KIA 20 June 1944); 405054 FO B. W. Klemm, Brisbane, QLD; 415259 FO H. Hawthorn, Hastings, NZ; 417379 Flight Sergeant J. Jennison, Adelaide, SA; 422248 FO J. B. O'Halloran, Sydney, NSW; 422080 FO R. M. Kennard, Canberra, ACT.

PORTRAIT OF 405054 FLYING OFFICER B. W. KLEMM, BRISBANE, QLD, AN RAAF AIR GUNNER IN A MITCHELL MEDIUM BOMBER OF NO. 180 SQUADRON RAF WITH THE SECOND TACTICAL AIR FORCE.

Wing Commander Bob McINtosh, AFC OAM MiD, Member SA Veterans Advisory Council

A Consolidated Catalina aircraft (right), with the serial number A24-100 and code number RK-L of 42 Squadron, RAAF, piloted by 401846 Pilot Officer (PO) (later Flying Officer (FO)) Clifford Dent Hull of Hawthorn, Vic. After completing a successful mine laying operation off Macassar (Celebes) Harbour on the night of 23 & 24 October 1944, the starboard engine of this aircraft was damaged by Japanese anti aircraft (AA) fire. Unable to maintain height on his return and with the second engine failing, PO Hull made a forced landing in the open sea south of the South Western Celebes Peninsula. He and his crew spent the next twelve hours on the water uncomfortably close to four Japanese airfields based in Southern Celebes, before a second Catalina (left), OX-U of 43 Squadron, RAAF, arrived to rescue PO Hull and his crew. A rubber dingy is visible transferring the downed crew to the rescue aircraft. A United States B24 Liberator bomber located the downed Catalina and guided the rescue Catalina in. The B24 continued to circle overhead providing protection. After the disabled Catalina had been sunk by machine gun fire, the rescue Catalina took off and returned safely to Darwin. This operation was one of the epic sea rescues of the Second World War, entailing a round trip of 1800 miles mainly through Japanese held territory. The rescue crew were: 415632 FO (later Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt, DFC)), Armand Andre Etienne (Captain), of West Perth, WA; 408409 FO (later Flt Lt), Ian McCallister Robson of Sandy Bay, Tas; 428809 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) (later Warrant Officer (WO)), John Joseph Sweeney (Navigator), of Newcastle, NSW, (visible standing on the wing of the rescue aircraft); 428832 Flt Sgt (later WO), Raymond Victor Tumeth of Haberfield, NSW; 428360 Flt Sgt (later WO), Derek Fanshawe Robertson of Camberwell, Vic; 12912 Sergeant (Sgt) (later PO), Robert Richard Tingman of Brighton, Vic; 12223 Sgt (later Flt Sgt), Albert Leslie Warton of Sydney, NSW; A2398 Sgt, Thomas Roy Elphick of Bondi, NSW; 33642 Corporal, James Francis Burgess Oliver of Glen Innes of NSW.

Off Sumba Island, Netherlands East Indies. 1945-01-15. The crew of the disabled Catalina aircraft, serial no. A24-96, code RK-E of No. 42 Squadron RAAF in their dinghies preparing to move across to the Catalina aircraft of No. 43 Squadron RAAF which came to rescue them. The aircraft had come down near Japanese held territory. On the night of 14 January 1945, during a mission to Surabaya, a plane from No. 42 Squadron RAAF, captained by Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Harrigan, experienced trouble with its port engine and immediately began to lose altitude. At the time Flt Lt Harrigan was flying at 300 feet below heavy cloud off Sumba Island. He jettisoned his mines, but the plane continued to lose altitude and he was forced to alight on the open sea. The hull of the Catalina aircraft was damaged and began to leak. However, the water was kept down by baling. Using the radio-telephone, the crew was able to make its position known to returning minelayers. All night they worked on the faulty engine, but without success. However, in the morning, a Catalina aircraft of No. 43 Squadron RAAF, captained by Flt Lt Ortlepp, landed in the heavy swell, covered by a Liberator aircraft, and took off Flt Lt Harrigan's crew. Flt Lt Ortlepp then destroyed the disabled Catalina aircraft with machine-gun fire and returned safely to base.

Corporal Philip Ness "Doc" Dobson, MID.

Off Sumba Island, Netherlands East Indies. 1945-01-15. The crew of the disabled Catalina aircraft, serial no. A24-96, code RK-E of No. 42 Squadron RAAF in their dinghies preparing to move across to the Catalina aircraft of No. 43 Squadron RAAF which came to rescue them. The aircraft had come down near Japanese held territory. On the night of 14 January 1945, during a mission to Surabaya, a plane from No. 42 Squadron RAAF, captained by Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Harrigan, experienced trouble with its port engine and immediately began to lose altitude. At the time Flt Lt Harrigan was flying at 300 feet below heavy cloud off Sumba Island. He jettisoned his mines, but the plane continued to lose altitude and he was forced to alight on the open sea. The hull of the Catalina aircraft was damaged and began to leak. However, the water was kept down by baling. Using the radio-telephone, the crew was able to make its position known to returning minelayers. All night they worked on the faulty engine, but without success. However, in the morning, a Catalina aircraft of No. 43 Squadron RAAF, captained by Flt Lt Ortlepp, landed in the heavy swell, covered by a Liberator aircraft, and took off Flt Lt Harrigan's crew. Flt Lt Ortlepp then destroyed the disabled Catalina aircraft with machine-gun fire and returned safely to base.

A picture of Geroge Harriot that appears to show his rank as Lieutenant and thus taken some time before April 1917 when he was promoted Captain.

Roadsign indicating the Millencourt Communal Cemetery Extension

The entrance to Becourt Military cemetery

Australian gunners in action with their 18 pounder gun supporting the 4th Division at FIrst Bullecourt

Contalmaison Chateau Cemetery

Three brothers, Private Theo Leslie Seabrook (left), 2 Lieutenant William Keith Seabrook (centre) and Private George Ross Seabrook (right) of Fivedock, New South Wales, Australia were all serving with 17 Battalion, Australian Infantry when they were killed together at Polygon Wood in the Ypres Salient on 20 - 21 September 1917. At the time of their deaths, George was aged 25, Theo was aged 24 and William was aged 21. Theo and George are commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres while William is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery.

A diagram of the Barrage Plan for the Australian Corps advance. The barrage was fired on preset timings without the benefit of radio communications so advancing troops had to be careful not to get too close to, or be left behind by the line of the creeping barrage. The level of complexity of such a plan epitomises the sophistication of Artillery by this stage of the war. Each battery of guns would be using different firing data on a relentless schedule from their many and varied locations in order to achieve this effect on the ground.

A diagram of the Barrage Plan for the Australian Corps advance. The barrage was fired on preset timings without the benefit of radio communications so advancing troops had to be careful not to get too close to, or be left behind by the line of the creeping barrage. The level of complexity of such a plan epitomises the sophistication of Artillery by this stage of the war. Each battery of guns would be using different firing data on a relentless schedule from their many and varied locations in order to achieve this effect on the ground.

A 4.5 inch howitzer of 108th Howitzer Battery of the 8th FIeld Artillery Brigade deployed in line behind a dyke or elevated road which provides them with cover from fire and view by the enemy

The Rose Park Gun. German 7.7cm Feldkanone 96 (FK96) Field Gun (1896).* One of a battery of German 77mm field guns captured by the 32nd Battalion during the Battle of Amiens that are now located in parks around SA.

A 4.5 inch howitzer of 108th (Howitzer) Battery of the 8th Field Artillery Brigade

Possibly one of the most recognised photos of the AIF on the Western Front. Lieutenant Rupert Frederick Arding Downes MC addresses his Platoon from B Company, 29th Battalion on 8 August 1918 during a rest before the advance onto Harbonnieres, the battalion's second objective. They are near the villages of Warfusee and Lamotte, France. The background of the photograph is obscured by the smoke of heavy shellfire. Many of the men pictured were killed in action or died of wounds or disease in the days and weeks after the photograph was taken, being amongst the last Australian deaths during the First World War. Each man has a story. Pte Towers (fourth from right), for example, was a farm labourer of Cootamundra, NSW, who later transferred to the 32nd Battalion. He was admitted to the Abbeville Hospital on 9 November 1918 suffering broncho-pneumonia where he died on 11 November 1918.

Superimposed on the Barrage Plan this is the counter battery fire plan and reaches in front of the creeping barrage rolling towards the German rear areas in order to neutralise the 504 guns positions identified by British Artillery Intelligence.