AIRCREW
LOSSES OF THE RAAF
So nobly their duty done;
ours now to remember theirs.
Aircrew Losses of the RAAF is a long term research project that is underway to ensure the names of all RAAF members who gave their lives in the service of the Royal Australian Air Force are compiled into a single document. This project, divided up into various chapters will cover the entire history of the Royal Australian Air Force from 1921 to the present day. Included into this enormous project will also be the names of those members of the public that also died as a result of an RAAF accident. It is not widely known however there were also a number of female casualties, nurses and members of the Women’s Royal Australian Air Force. At present I have the names of over 6,000 men and women yet there is still many thousands more not yet listed and much more research to do.
Aircrew Losses of the RAAF was a project born from a similar idea that I had originally intended. It was in 1998 when I had the initial idea to compile a list all the aircraft of the RAAF that had crashed. This was sparked by the 13 books of the Australian Air Power series by Stewart Wilson that featured three Australian aircraft in each book. At the end of each aircraft chapter there was a summary of the aircraft’s serial numbers that showed the fate of each individual aircraft. Without ever having started the research it wasn't long before I realised this was going to be harder than I expected. Without setting any “terms of reference” to work from I began to look at the tables of Stewart Wilson’s and almost instantly I was asking myself a question. How do you determine the difference between an aircraft actually crashing to that of an aircraft that crashed on landing? Aside from not knowing exactly how to go about doing research of this nature this project stalled very quickly.
Then I obtained a copy of the book Air Base Richmond, The Story of the RAAF Base on the Hawkesbury by Derek Roylance where I was surprised at the number of crashes that occurred at or around the RAAF Richmond area. My interest was captured. So I made a list of those aircraft but there was still something missing and then I asked myself another question. "Who were flying these aircraft?"
And this is how it began.
Like all Air Forces the RAAF has suffered its share of casualties, some of whom are remembered very quickly but many are not. The likes of "Bluey" Truscott and FLTLT Newton easily come to mind but very few know of the pilot/s that may have died the day before.
Usually when I read a book there is always a reference to an aircraft and occasionally it will mention the Pilots name but usually with his rank, initials and surname. With larger aircraft carrying two or more crew members these books fail to mention the remainder of the crew. I feel that this does not honour the memory of these men and women so I have sought to reverse this by compiling all the names into a single document.
Members of the RAAF served in every theatre of war
during World War II. From North Africa to China/Burma/India and to the Pacific
members of the RAAF always distinguished themselves with their determination
and dedication. Nowhere more so did they prove themselves than in the war in
Europe, where more than half of the 11,000 casualties the RAAF suffered during
WWII, were killed serving in England defending the Motherland, either in RAF
squadrons or in RAAF squadrons under RAF Command. So it is important to note
here and now that I am not only recording the names of the RAAF members that
were killed but I am also listing the names of all crew members of an aircraft
where a RAAF member was killed regardless of nationality, whether they
themselves survived or not. .
Since this work is concerned with members of the RAAF only I have chosen NOT to include those Australians whom for whatever reason went to England and joined the RAF.
The details will include:
Date (of aircraft loss);
Aircraft Type;
Aircraft serial number;
Squadron;
Crew Names;
ranks,
names in
full, and
service
numbers,
Position
on aircraft/mustering (if known),
Service (ie RAAF, RAFVR),
and
Details of Loss (if known).
The information is first based on the date of an aircraft's loss. Should the pilot/crew survive to become POW's or die later for various reasons then this will be noted in the accompanying story. Any awards or decorations awarded to any crew member will also be noted. At a later stage I intend to include photographs for many entries, either portraits of the pilots or photos of entire crews.
After six years research there is still much work to be done on this project. There are still many thousands more names and fates to be researched and included. I hope that Aircrew Losses of the RAAF will be seen as a serious attempt to remember all the men and women who died and preserve our military aviation history, a history that will be available to everyone.
I would most welcome any contribution from any person who wishes to assist in this mammoth task. I would be particularly interested in obtaining copies of service records and/or photographs from any persons that lost family members in the RAAF. However I would like to refrain from including any rumour as I fear this may detract from the gallant service these men and women gave so I would request that any information provided be in hardcopy form.
Dean is also a regular participant on our messageboard at; http://www.adf-serials.com/invboard/