RAAF 3rd BG

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Between May 1942 through April 1943, personnel of the R.A.A.F. were attached to the 13th & 90th Bomb Squadrons of the 3rd Bombardment Group. Attached were Pilots, Wireless Air Gunners & early on Observers. The pilots, both Flying Officers & Sgt. Pilots, were used as Co-Pilots in the B-25s of the 3rd BG as well as the W. A.G.s (Wireless Air Gunners), known as Radio/Gunners in the U.S.A.A.F, to fill the gaps in experienced personnel. Such was the case in the early days of WWII for the 3rd Bombardment Group.

REPORT ON INSPECTION OF R.A.A.F. PERSONNEL ATTACHED TO 3RD BOMB GROUP AT CHARTERS TOWERS

September 14 1942

REPORT ON INSPECTION OF R.A.A.F. PERSONNEL ATTACHED TO 3RD BOMB GROUP

January 11, 1943

R.A.A.F. PERSONNEL ATTACHED TO 3RD BOMB GROUP

LETTER TO WING COMMANDER GARING FROM JOHN H. DAVIES 3RD BOMB GROUP REGARDING FLIGHT LT. B. M. HIGGINS RAAF

June 5, 1942

Percy Oliver Ockenden

Charters Towers - October 1942

Merauke DNG or Gove NT

Percy Oliver Ockenden was attached to the 3rd BG as an Operations Officer for the RAAF personnel serving with the 13th & 90th Squadrons beginning in May 1942. Even though there is a copy of his RAAF service record, it isn't clear at present just how long he was attached to the Group at Charters Towers. Thanks to Maureen Joan Miller (Ockenden) & her daughter for sharing this material regarding her father. Joan was a young girl living on King Street in Charters Towers during 1942.

In the standing row of this photo are 4 R.A.A.F. personnel that flew in the Co-Pilot position with the 13th Bomb Squadron which was commanded at this time by Major Harold V. Maull.

Pilot Officer Ron James - Sgt. Pilot Arthur W. Bennett - Sgt. Pilot Robert M. Nielsen - Sgt. Pilot Keith A. Akhurst

Kneeling in the middle is Sgt. Pilot Lindsay John Oats

Image is credited to Ron Hubbard in Operation Plum

Kneeling: Sgt. C.L. Eatough - Sgt. Pilot N.T. McHugh - Pilot Officer A. R. Page - Sgt. H. A. Howes - Sgt. J. C. Patton

Standing: Sgt.Pilot L. J. Oats - Pilot Sgt. F. H. Dawson - Warrant Officer J. T. Soundy - Sgt. Pilot R. J.Fergie - Sgt. J. H. Siddall - Sgt. L. W. Jacobs - Sgt. R. F. Jones

Warrant Officer J. T. Soundy - 1st Lt. Leonard Hymes - Pilot Officer Allan. R. Page

Standing L-R: Sgt. Pilot Robert H. Guthrie Lt. John Sbisa

Kneeling L-R Sgt. A. L. McDonald Cpl. Ashton E. Carter

F/O Maurice J. Carse & Lt. Robert Chatt

Sgt. Eugene P. McCarthy - S/Sgt. James M. Hume - Sgt. Pilot Ivan J. Wilkinson - Edward T. Solomon

Pvt. John C. Boggs - S/Sgt. Paul W. Malite - P/O Royce K. Johnco - 1st Lt. Robert W. Reed

Sgt. Pilot Neville McNamara

Serving with the Americans

Image from the Ron James Collection at Peter Dunn's OZATWAR site. Serving with the Americans is an excerpt from the autobiography of Neville P. McNamara.

SGT. TERRENCE J. GAWNE

90th Bombardment Squadron WWII Combat Log

Oct. 5 [1942] - more OTU training all day . . . . bombardiers being checked by Sgt. Neal and Sgt. Pardue . . . . Sgt. “Jimmie” Hume and Sgt. Thompson checking the gunners . . . . the RAAF boys, our best lower gunners, beating out code to the new Radio Gunners . . . . Sgt. Gawne and Sgt. Allan supervising . . . . [page 62]

After RAAF Sgt. Terrence J. Gawne ( (408648) left the 90th Squadron he was assigned to RAAF 22 Squadron flying A-20A-1 bombers out of Port Moresby. He was KIA on 30 January 1944 when his plane was apparently hit by AA. See attached newspaper article and document. Unsure why the newspaper article uses the term navigator to describe his duty. Wireless Operator / Aerial Gunner (WAG) [radio gunner] was his primary training. When KIA, Terence J. Gawne was a Pilot Officer which corresponds to a 2nd Lt. in the USAAF.

Information provided by Edward Rogers

F/O EDWARD T. MOBSBY