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BEAUFIGHTERS OVER NEW GUINEA Other titles in this series: Secret Action of 305 Smith & Coghlan Winner of the 1988 Heritage Award The RAAF Mirage Story Compiled by Wing Commander M.R. Susans Winner of the 1989 Heritage Award Alfresco Flight — The RAAF Antarctic Experience David Wilson Winner of the 1990 Heritage Award Edge of Centre—The eventful life of Group Captain Gerald Packer Chris Coulthard-Clark Winner of the 1991 Heritage Award BEAUFIGHTERS OVER NEW GUINEA No. 30 Squadron RAAF 1942-1943 GEORGE TURNBULL DICK Royal Australian Air Force Museum An occasional series Number 5 First published in 1993 by Royal Australian Air Force Museum RAAF Base Point Cook, Vic, 3029, Australia Copyright © Royal Australian Air Force Museum Production by Sylvana Scannapiego, Island Graphics Cover and text design by David Constable Typeset in 12/13pt Sabon by Solo Typesetting, South Australia Printed in Australia by Impact Printing, Melbourne All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Cataloguing-in-publication information Dick, George, 1921- Beaufighters over New Guinea. ISBN 0 642 18836 X 1. Australia. Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron, 30. 2. World War, 1939-1945 —Papua New Guinea —Aerial operations, Australian. I. Royal Australian Air Force Museum. II. Title 940.544994 CONTENTS Preface vii Acknowledgements x 1 Fashioning a Superb Weapons Platform 1 2 Work-Up to a War Footing 7 3 Early Days at Ward's Strip 21 4 Tree-Topping Wave-Hopping Warplanes 38 5 Bully Beef & Dog Biscuits 53 6 Life at the June Valley Camp 72 7 Moresby Attacked by 100 Aircraft 91 8 Rain, Rain, Rain 113 9 Operations from Vivigani Strip 127 10 Christmas at Kiriwina 149 Nominal Roll 169 Bibliography 173 PREFACE HEN office-bearers of No. 30 Beaufighter Association Wdiscovere d that I was a writer who took a deep interest in Australian history, they invited me to compile a short history of the squadron in which I had served during the Second World War. It was assumed that adequate source material would be available in the archives of Government departments in Canberra. However, I found that very few official documents have survived the clearing-out campaigns since war's end. The present work is built around three surviving sets of records — the Unit History Sheets, the Operations Record Book and Personnel Occurrence Reports. But the meagre entries therein needed to be expanded, explained and extended by other material if the account were to be made at all interesting. Accordingly, additional information was sought from ex-members of the unit, and resulted in an astonishing response. Where practicable, the recollections of those who had served in the Beaufighter unit were recorded on tape, some sessions lasting for more than four hours. Other ex-members sent me their written reminiscences—some long, some short, but all providing interesting material about events and about their fellow-men. Vll So much material was amassed that a difficult decision about treatment became imperative. If the limit of 55,000 words were to be observed and the book dealt with Squadron affairs from its formation to its disbandment, many of the interesting details and sidelights would have to be omitted for reasons of space. Alternatively, if the the book were to cover a shorter time-span, it would allow the development of some of the more interesting aspects. After consultation, it was decided to adopt the latter course and limit the coverage of the present work to the period March 1942 to December 1943. A follow- on publication may eventuate. A writer cannot make history; he can but reflect it. It is people who are the stuff of history and any account of the past ought to deal with the actions of individuals rather than present a mere calendar of events. Although the operational activities of the aircrew form the thread of this present account, the opportunity is taken to tell something about that group of men who have been so often ignored in so many unit histories — the groundstaff. It is possible that there will be disputes about some of the incidental material, and some readers may contend that a particular event did not take place in the way it is presented. This may be due to the author's ineptitude in the use of descriptive prose. Yet it ought to be remembered that not everyone witnessing the same incident sees and interprets it in the same way as his neighbours. More to the point, only a few are blessed with a totally accurate recall of events which happened 50 years ago. So that this work might be more readable, I have adopted an informal writing style: unless the context demanded it, I have avoided the use of Air Force ranks. I hope that readers will not be offended by my use of their diminutive Christian names. While undertaking the research for this book I met and made new friends of ex-members of No. 30 Beaufighter Squadron and enjoyed their company. I was also delighted to renew the acquaintance of others who served in the Squadron at the same time as I did. Vlll This Preface can but express gratitude for the opportunity to record something about what it was like to serve in an operational squadron of a Royal Australian Air Force squadron in the tropics. George Turnbull Dick Glenbrook January 1993 IX ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AM deeply indebted to the many people who so willingly I provided such a wealth of material — factual and otherwise— and who contributed to my collection of nearly 900 photo­ graphs. I express my gratitude to: Terry Allen, Fred Anderson, Don Angus, Joe Arthur, Mal Baker, Maurice Ball, Dave Beasley, Bob Bennett, Ted Bicknell, Jim Blair, Roy Bockman, Les Braund, Harry Bridger, Ray Brittain, Alec Burgoyne, George Carnegie, John Carroll, Fred Cassidy, Fred Catt, Jack Chambelrain, Ivor Church, Cress Clarke, Cliff Clohesy, John Collins, Fred Cox, Laurie Crouch, Gwynn Davies, Tony Davey, Ken Delbridge, Frank Denner, Ron Dorman, John Dunstan, George Dusting, Laurie Edmonds, Joe Erskine, John Farquhar, Reg Fay, Owen Fenwick, Arthur Ferrier, Ron Catcum, Keith Geary, Bob Gibson, Ken Golledge, Joe Green, Colin Harvey, Jeff Heath, Chas Harris, Len Hastwell, Eric Hughes, Arthur Jaggs, Alec Jenkins, Don Joyes, 'Skip' Kaye, Harold Kelly, Brian Klar, Alan Laing, Alan D. Laing, Bill Larsen, Ted Lasscock, John Laverty, Ken Leonard, Eric Lusk, Bill Maddigan, Elton Marsden, Fred Marriott, Bill Marsh, John Mason, Cliff Maxwell, Jeff Mierisch, Don Miller, Ian Mitchell, Tom Mitchell, Colin Morgan, Ron Morrison, Ralph Nelson, Keith Nicholson, Charles Oakley, Harold O'Connor, Charlie Park, Bert Parker, Ted Pullman, Ron X Radonic, Doug Raffen, Les Rawlinson, Bren Reade, Norman Reeve, Bruce Robertson, George Robertson, Jack Sandford, Frank Sawtell, Mowbray Shipp, Rex Sims, Frank Simpson, Harry Suthons, Harry Tayler, Jack Thorne, Bruce Tiller, Brian Walker, Don West, Jim Wilson and Dick Woodgate. Very special mention must be made of those who kindly allowed me to read their personal diaries — Don Angus, Laurie Crouch, George Dusting, Keith Nicholson, Frank Sawtell and Harry Tayler. Their contemporary records were invaluable sources, shedding much light on the various events, circumstances and individuals. I thank, too, Bob Piper of the Air Historical Section, Ian Affleck of the Australian War Memorial, Myles Harper of Frankston, staffs of the Royal Australian Air Force Museum, the Discharged Personnel Records section, the National Library of Australia and the National Archives. Finally, I must thank my wife, Beryl, for the patience she exercised while I was engrossed in the research and writing phases and for acting as editor and lynx-eyed proofreader. XI CHAPTER ONE Fashioning a Superb Weapons Platform HE outstanding fact about the Bristol Beaufighter is that Tthis aircraft was by far the most heavily armed fighter in operational service with the Royal Air Force from the early months of the Second Word War until the 1950s — when airborne missiles were introduced. The aviation world accorded the Beaufighter special re­ cognition and respect because: • It was the airborne pioneer of Britain's nightfighter defence. • It provided Coastal Command with a highly successful strike weapon in maritime operations. • It gave RAF commands overseas a lethal low level instru­ ment of destruction. • It demonstrated its versatility when it was employed in roles never envisaged by the initial designers. The Munich crisis spurred the Air Ministry staffs and aircraft designers into feverish activity and in October 1938 the Bristol Aeroplane Company at Filton in Gloucestershire made an extremely interesting proposal. At that time the company was tailoring off its production of the Blenheim IV aircraft and was starting the production line of the Beaufort bomber. Bristol designer Leslie Frise asserted that he could equip the Royal Air Force with long range fighters of decisive 1 striking power in double quick time by using many parts of the Beaufort. Initially referred to as the Beaufort Fighter, the name Beaufighter was allotted to the aircraft design on 2 June 1939 but in time the aircraft was simply referred to as the Beau. Contrary to the French connotation of that nickname, the aircraft's lines were by no means beautiful or aesthetically pleasing. Rather, they conveyed a strong relationship to snub- nosed pugnacity and sheer brute force. It was indeed a pure fighting machine whose strength lay not only in the awesome weight and variety of armament it could bring to bear on the enemy, but in its ability to absorb tremendous physical punishment yet still touch down with a live crew aboard. A bare two months before Britain declared war on Germany, the Air Ministry issued Specification F17/39 and just two weeks after that document was issued, Bristol's chief test pilot, Cyril Uwins, took the first Beaufighter prototype on its test flight.

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