Catalina diary

The following is composed of most of the writings of a diary that I started the second month of my tour of operations with No. 20 Catalina Squadron, operating out of Cairns. At this time Cairns was carrying on in a peace time manner, but a lot of the residents had decided that it was prudent to pack their belongings and move further South, thus it was that we found ourselves billeted in homes that shortly before had been occupied by the owner – vegetable gardens still flourished, as did the weeds. I was in a large airy place on the seafront not far from the hospital and slept on the wide enclosed verandah. There was probably 20 of us in the house and we ate in the RAAF airman’s mess on the seafront closer to the town. The mess and headquarters buildings were close to where the Catalina monument now stands on the foreshore.

My flying logbook states that my first operational flight took place 23rd June 1943 in aircraft No. A24 (PBY Catalina) – 50. It was a patrol of the Salamaua Gasmata area, the flight was 23 hours 55 minutes, and was a taste of the long hours of flying that the Catalina is designed to be capable of. Only one other patrol in the same area was undertaken in the remainder of the month, but a mine drop in the Kavieng area, and a test flight filled out the month, with a total of 63 hours 45 minutes. July was to be one of the busiest months of the squadron. Over a period of 26 days almost 176 hours were flown by our crew, from a 40 minute test fligh, to a 20 hour sea patrol. A lot of the flights were of short duration in daylight being army supply runs to rivers in the South of New Guinea. The tattered remains of my diary commences on the 11th July and notes that upon returning to Horn Island for refuelling after an aborted mission due to bad weather, and a subsequently damaged aircraft, most likely the radio and/or radar aerials had been partly carried away! This was a common problem.

July 1943

12 - Took off at 6.45am, arrived in Cairns just in time for midday meal, just time for a shower, then back to wharf to take 55 to Bowen, had good trip, averaged 170 knots on way down. (We must have had a good tail wind!)
13 - Returned to Cairns, went to a dance at night, miserable show. Boy! I feel lonely tonight!
14 - Awoke 9.30, we are standby crew, this was supposed to be our day off too! Did a bit of washing and cleaned up hut. (By this time huts had been erected near the foreshore and we were installed two to each of the approximately 3mx3m boxes.) 15.30 scramble, and we were off the water at 16.20 on a Milk Run. (This was the code name for the convoy duty of ships.)

We were loaded with four general purpose bombs (GPs) and four depth charges (DCs) primarily for use on submarines and/or surface vessels. At the end of the patrol we bombed and low level strafed installations in the Finschhafen area. It was during this that a particularly funny incident occurred. The Cats were fairly quiet, and at this time we had dropped almost to sea level after dropping our bombs some miles away. We were indulging in what used to be described as barge hunting, the idea was to sneak around the coastlines in the moonlight at an altitude of less than 100 metres, the skippers always had a list of possible targets from the daytime photo recce planes, and it was easy to take small installations on the ground by surprise. We'd shoot-up everything with the .5 calibre machine guns, and if it appeared prudent, return for a second run and so on till the defenders manned their guns! We would then disappear!

On this occasion we were surprised to come around the corner to a scene of activity around a group of barges at the shore. There were lights everywhere, and one individual was walking along the beach swinging a storm lantern. This was on our starboard (right) side and Curley Richards our airframe fitter manned the blister gun. He was a crack shot having served as a tail gunner in the RAF in the air battles in Britain, and it was he who immediately opened up on this poor unfortunate. The whole crew had a view of his victim as the storm lantern flew into the air in a huge arc and the enemy disappeared in a cloud of rubbish, everyone was blasting away and laughing their heads off at the same time! Remember this was our first taste of real action and it certainly broke the tension that we had all felt up till that time.

15 - Landed at Milne Bay, refuelled and returned to Cairns.
16 - Woke at 9.30. Have acquired a hut mate in my absence, (I had been alone the first week or so, most huts only having one occupant!) he has a radio! We were in the news this morning, the mob are calling us the medal chasers! Had a bit of news about my stripes. (I was still a leading aircraftsman at this time.) Wrote letters most of the day, cleaned up and went for a walk in the evening, back to bed at 2300. Today was the first day that we have had off since arriving, tomorrow looks like being another.
17 - Rose at 0900 and wrote a letter, and left in afternoon for New Guinea, travelled to Horn Island, had some gunnery practice on the way up. (Mostly at crocodiles sunning on the sand flats across the Gulf of Carpentaria.)
18 - Horn Island to Tanahmera, a village near a fork in the Digoel River highlands.
19 - Another supply run to Tanahmera, return to Merauke, then to Horn Island.
20 - Horn Island to Tanahmera and return.
21 - Horn Island and return via Merauke.
22 - Horn Island to Tanahmera and return.
23 - Carry out 40 hourly inspection and 40 minute test flight.
24 - Horn Island to Tanahmera and return.
25 - Horn Island to Tanahmera and return via Merauke.

At this time we were calling ourselves the River Digoel Ferry. Horn Island to Tanahmera took 3½ hours, Tanahmera to Merauke 1½ hours, Merauke to Horn Island 2½ hours. At each end there was supply loading from boats and unloading in the narrow, sometimes flash flooding Digoel River into dugout canoes, manned by betel nut chewing local Dyaks. It was from one of them that I traded a tin of our Bully Beef stores to get my Eclectus, or Red Sided Parrot. These birds are common right down to Cape York. Joe, as I named him, was to be great company in my hut until he journeyed with me by plane and train, all the way home to South Australia, where he became a great pet to everyone. Unfortunately he flew into a fire in the back yard and never recovered.

26 - Returned to Cairns.
27 - Woke late, wrote letters till mid afternoon, Whoopee – they made me a Sergeant today, I think I’ll go celebrate tonight!
28 - Did washing in morning, shopping in afternoon, and dance at night.
29 - Ironing in morning, stinking hot day, Crystal waters for swim in afternoon, went to party at night with four dozen other chaps, had reasonably good time, bed at midnight.
30 - Mending clothes in morning, down town in afternoon and cinema at night.

August 1943

1 - Rose at 9.30, eight letters in the mail, answered some, went to cinema in evening but full house.
2 - Up at 9am and cleaned hut, just about to do same gardening, (we had flower beds around our huts!) when they yelled for us to relieve as duty crew. What a day, I had the first headache for weeks and nearly went mad in the heat, got to bed at 2am. It’s now tomorrow, we have a Milk Run at 10am so I guess I’ll be tired.
3 - Rose at 9, left for Milk Run at 10, finished run and bombed Gasmata at 11pm, bloody skipper decided to do ’square search’ on way home to fill in time till daylight, but he made a stupid damned error and we came as near as no matter to putting the kite down in the mangroves!

Running out of fuel I leaned the mixtures down to nothing, cut and feathered one motor after running three tanks bone dry on that motor, no fuel showing in remaining tank, just made it over the mangroves into Milne Bay when remaining engine cut. Skipper thought it was a great joke, I was bloody furious and roundly abused him, I dobbed him in on return to base, for not changing course and heading direct for Milne Bay when I could see that the situation was critical. Nothing came of it, we were never really friends after that lot! The engineer’s decision was supposed to be law in such a situation, we were VERY lucky, had to stay overnight while engines were checked over for any damage.

4 - Left Milne Bay to return to Cairns, had message to do air-sea rescue, Vultee Vengeance down on Eden Reef out from Port Douglas. Changed course and landed outside reef and took pilot and navigator off in dinghies, remains of this aircraft can still be seen on the reef according to locals. Went to dance in Cairns at night and ran into my cousin Arthur from nearby Army depot, a complete surprise to us both!
5 - Up early, did washing, met Arthur and spent day together, found a party at a private house in the evening, had a good time.
6 - More washing. Short flight 1.40 to carry out compass swing, Boy, did the Skipper make it swing! Buzzed a girl on Green Island wharf, went to pictures at night.
7 - Out of bed at 8, actually had breakfast in mess! More washing, cleaned boots and hut, parrot buzzed off last night but was back in the morning, he seems to have accepted the hut as home, have fixed up some perches in one corner, he wanders around the hut and wakes me in the morning looking for a feed.
8 - Left at 7.45 to do extended testing on 63, four hours 20 minutes! Had local convoy duty at 15.30, Bougainville Reef, saw three large whales just out of Cairns, 21 hour trip.
9 - Arrived back 10am pretty tired, felt better after a shower, no letters again. RSL dance in evening, saw Arthur again.
10 - Cleaned up hut and went down town for dinner, went to a show in the evening, reasonably good time.
11 - Up at 9, down to check over 58, back at noon, did some ironing, took the parrot around to Till’s place in the evening, played a few records and played cards, in bed at midnight.

Mrs. Tills was a local school teacher, I can’t remember how we met, we used to get invitations to private homes, she had a very attractive daughter 17 years old. We went on picnic parties and spent a lot of time together, nothing serious, but she was nice! She's in the photo on next page – me and mates in an open small car, she’s peeping around a post.

12 - Down to wharf in morning, circuits and landings and test in afternoon, familiarisation for F/Lt. Marsh, (he would have been a newly arrived pilot) took Arthur with us, went up to the Table Land and came back over the Barron Falls, great experience for Arthur! Took the parrot to a party with us in the evening, a great party trick! Had a great time.
13 - Friday 13 ouch, Curley’s birthday, he got sozzled last night at the party, still pretty happy this morning! We were expecting a job in the Wewak area, now find that it’s cancelled, it didn’t sound very nice. Our skipper is always volunteering for some outlandish operation, his brother was a Spitfire pilot killed in the Battle of Britain, and Dinny (nickname for Dennis) is determined to fight the rest of the war for both his brother and himself and makes no secret of it! RSL dance in evening with Arthur, he had Army transport and a lot of mates, had an Army ride home, had a good time.
14 - No jobs today, wrote letters, played cards and read for a while. A rare pleasure to have no duties for a day. Standby crew tonight, a mere formality, the crew all went to the pictures and left me holding the bag. 2200 – have written all my letters, will quit worrying and turn in. Cinema would screen message if crews were needed at base.
15 - Still standby, wrote more letters and cleaned up about the place, feel very lonely today, played Patience, have a ship escort tomorrow, up at 4am, will turn in early.
16 - Left water at 0510, nine ships, 15 hours, showered and into bed before midnight.
17 - Out of bed at 8.30, washed clothes and had lunch, went to Crystal Waters with Stewart Ikin. (Ike, our navigator, a great guy, he was lost at sea shortly after the war on a fishing trawler that went down off the East coast of Australia somewhere, he had bought a part interest in the operation, very sad.)
18 - Did little all day, tried to go for a swim but tide was out in open sea baths, had a hair cut and went to RSL dance in evening, had a good time.
19 Up at 9 and started to clean up the hut, had lunch and refilled palliasse (mattress) with fresh straw, finished cleaning up and polished boots, party in evening, had a good time, brought the parrot home from Tills’ last night and he’s been kicking up Hell all day, I think they must have spoiled him!
20 - Easy morning, went to Yorky’s Knob in a volunteer work party and loaded wood for the mess fires, had a swim, cinema in the evening, ’Jungle Book’.
21 - Cleaned up, wrote letters, checked out 58 in afternoon, early night.
22 - Went to the pictures in the afternoon to fill in time, Joe E. Brown, ’Shut my big Mouth’ enjoyed it, later terrible stomach ache, went to bed early.
23 Up at 7.30 and had breakfast in the mess! Quiet day, spent some time fixing things on 58, RSL dance in evening.
24 - Expected a job at 0830, but it didn’t happen. Had to go out at 1630 and change all gear from 58 to 61, climbing in and out of aircraft and boats seems to have buggered up my knee, badly swollen, went to Tills’ and applied poultice to bring the swelling down, still bloody sore. I have a feeling that my knees are going to be a problem all my life!
25 - Up early and down to check 61 again for test flip in afternoon, didn’t go myself, I had to go to the Doc about the knee.
26 - Up at 8.30 and went into town for breakfast, shopping and odd jobs all day.
27 - Up at 9 and down to the wharf, things are quiet, pictures on the station in the evening.
28 - Went to Yank Red Cross in the evening, had a fair time.
29 - Went to Tills’ for lunch, and 4CA Cairns radio station in afternoon.

The radio station was set up in a room of a private house and a girl friend of the Tills’ was the announcer, we used to go there during the broadcasts and party when the records were playing, but it had to be instant silence for the announcements between records. We were there one afternoon with the parrot and in the middle of an announcement Joe decided to fly over and land in the girl’s blonde hair with a loud screech! In moments the station phone rang and it’s the owner wanting to know what was going on! The girl replied that a parrot had just flown in the open studio window from outside! I got to know the owner later and we became good mates.

30 - Not much all day, becoming bored, wrote letters, attended a travel lecture and slide show in the evening, then afterwards RSL dance.
31 - Pulled out of bed early to take passengers to Bowen, 2½ hours each way, home at 1800 hours, started to go to the movies but finished up at Tills’ for supper, then home to bed.

September 1943

1 - Did little all day, at 1700 hours had orders to strip 61 of surplus gear and load up with non-parachute supply drop bags.
2 - Off water at 9am landed Groote Eylandt 5½ hours later, took a walk along the beach and slept, awake at midnight and had a meal.
3 - Off water at 1am, recalled to Cairns after one hours flight. Arrived back at 0805, went to bed, up for lunch and collected pay. Played patience in evening till I was sick of it.
4 - Cleaned up and washing in the morning, raining like Hell! Reloaded aircraft in afternoon expect to have another shot tomorrow.

These supply drops were on to the rugged tops of ridges in the heights of the Owen Stanley mountains. This was basically Japanese territory, and the drops had to be made accurately at near stalling speeds with no parachutes, it was impossible any other way! Army intelligence gave us the all clear, but if the Japs happened to suddenly appear in the area the mission had to be immediately aborted. The army units were roving commandos and they were always in a very precarious position and had to plan the drop zone at a moment’s notice. We had to manhandle the large padded packs weighing 200kgs or more out of the blister compartments at the instant the skipper said ’Out’. We were up around 4000 metres with no oxygen, and we were in a near state of collapse for most of the time. We also had to fly up high mountain passes to get to the drop zone, and only the tips of the mountains would be visible shortly after sunup due to the rapid cloud build up in the tropical conditions.

5 - Up at 9am, Groote Eylandt in early afternoon, a meal then sleep and up at midnight for a snack.
6 - Took off at 1am, found drop zone, identified Army and dropped successfully at 7-8am, coming back at 5000 metres, bloody cold and gasping for breath, but beautiful. Boy those mountains and waterfalls and lakes, I’ll never forget that place! Arrived back at Horn Island had lunch and did daily inspection in afternoon, went by boat to Thursday Island in the evening and saw an Army Entertainment show.
7 - Off the water at 8.15am, back at Cairns at 1300 hours. Carried Army passengers who were going on leave, most of them were horribly sick in the aircraft, not a pleasant trip! I carried some parcels back on this trip for a soldier’s wife who lived in Cairns, I delivered these when we got back and went to bed exhausted.
8 - Out of bed late, lunch and then joined the woodcutting detail, RSL dance in evening.
9 - Standby crew, washing in the morning, Convoy job in the afternoon, 20½ hours. Took a Navy Lieutenant Commander with us, he gave us the shits the whole trip, first off we couldn’t find the convoy, some sort of a position 'snafu', bloody Navy!
10 - Arrived back 1315 hours all tired as Hell, letter from M (my first wife) and Mum, boy that letter of M’s has me in the wrong mood! I can’t sleep now for nuts! Bob (my hut mate) going home on leave tomorrow or Sunday, hope I get leave soon, I’ve had this place!
11 - Wandered around all day, played poker in afternoon and had a terrible headache, it’s been coming on for days, today very hot, how I wish I could spread out on the lawn at home! At the rate we are going, we’ll never get leave.
12 Woke when I heard them yelling that there were tickets for Green Island, rushed around and made the boat, beautiful day, sunburned, went to pictures in evening.
13 - Travelled to Groote Eylandt, refuelled and airborne at 1650 hours for Amboina strike, we were late in and things were really stirred up, tons of Ack Ack, we took a 37mm shell through the tail compartment, it parted the control wires, and exploded above us! Dropped bombs and returned to strafe the flying boat base, light Ack Ack on the way home.
14 - Back to Horn Island to refuel then back to Cairns, dog tired, no sleep for 36 hours.
15 - Late out of bed, finished up at the pictures, got new watch today, in bed at 2300.
16 - Whole crew posted to 11 Squadron (same place, just bullshit!) but have to get posting clearances. The skipper has been made commanding officer of 11 Squadron, this means another tour of duty before we get leave!
17 - Clearances again, did some ironing, pictures in evening, wrote letter to M.
18 - Up at 8.30, went down to the wharf, wrote letters and played cards at night.
19 - Did washing in morning, went to Barron Waters in afternoon, should have been on PT (physical training), pictures in evening and to bed, big job in the morning.
20 - Rose early, job off, did compass swing in 35 in afternoon, to bed early.
21 - Did nothing much all day, went around to Tills’ in evening, collected parrot.
22 - Up early, took off at nine o clock, circuits and landings in 49. Compass swing in 35 later in afternoon, went to RSL dance in evening, too hot! Went for a ride with cobber and others in his car.
23 - Duty crew, up early and down to wharf, not too bad a day, home at 4.30.
24 - We are now officially 11 squadron, have to rise at 4am tomorrow.
25 - Travel to Darwin looked up Harry, spent night with him. (Harry, M’s Army brother.)
26 - Up early, off water at 1725 hours mine drop Celebes, good trip.
27 - Put in the day doing 80 hourly after we arrived back.
28 - Spent morning cleaning up aircraft. Took off at 1630 hours mine drop Celebes, strafed merchant ship in harbour, we were holed two places below water line, three other holes, started to sink when we landed, took off again, found and patched holes, landed again and refuelled then off again 2125 for Cairns. 26 hours without a break, all in, hit the sack and slept.

Diary states that I had fainting fit, but it was much more serious – I was asphyxiated by petrol fumes and the crew thought that I was dead. I clearly remember the experience, and in the light of modern stories, I am certain that I had a near death experience. I recovered to the crew’s surprise, but had bad dreams and turns for years afterwards.

30 - Had terrible nightmare last night. (Later I came to realise that this was a result of my fainting fit in Darwin harbour, it was the first of many such bad dreams.)

October 1943

1 - We have some leave? Took bomb to Innisfail and rattled tins for Red Cross (people made donation and wrote hate message to TOJO on bomb) raised 25 pounds. Dance in evening, good time.
2 - Up at 8.30, wandered around town, had game of pool, dance in evening but knee cracked up, went back to hotel to bed.
3 - Clocks forward one hour, went to Etty Bay, swam and sunbaked, taxi to train at 1820, home at 2200, put some washing in to soak, have just heard that Stilling has gone missing. He was trying to torpedo merchantman, we were lucky to survive our torpedo drop last week in Celebes area, let’s hope they give this torpedo bomber idea away!
4 - Up at 9.30, very hot, did washing and wrote letters, Joe hurt his claw somehow while I was away, he’s a bit niggly today, dance in evening.
5 - No entry!
6 - Did radio altimeter test on 34 in morning, only ½ hour. Church dance at night.
7 - Up early, did wood run to Double Bay, swam, dance in evening.
8 - Did washing, played poker, won nine shillings, armament section in afternoon.
9 - Played cards all morning, lost two shillings. Pictures in the evening then barn dance.
10 - To wharf to check 34, Barron Waters in afternoon, in bed early.
11 - Cairns to Darwin, good trip, saw Harry and slept well.
12 - Mine drop, and torpedo attempt, Dilli-Koepang area, missed ship but set it alight with gun fire and headed for home.
13 - Picked up Harry and showed him over aircraft, slept well.
14 - Home to Cairns, Tivoli Show in the evening, good time with girls afterwards.
15 - Washing and ironing, a bit of alcoholic remorse today!
16 - Down town after washing out the hut, talk of leave next week! Won at cards!
17 - Picnic at Double Island Bay, sunburned, had great day.
18 - Read most of the day, supposed to chop wood, but no axes for some reason.
19 - Did nothing much, bed early.
20 - Bad nights sleep, have some leave! Hoping for air transport but doesn’t look good.
21 - Chasing transport.
22 - Up at 4.30, train left at 10! I decided to get off at Townsville, trying for flight South tomorrow, stayed overnight at local barracks.
23 - Lockheed Hudson to Brisbane, have Joe with me, he wasn’t very impressed with bumpy trip!
24 - Train for Sydney.
25 - Left Sydney for Melbourne in evening, Joe is coping well with travel.
28 - Arrived Adelaide 9am – home never looked so good!

November 1943

13 - Left Adelaide for Cairns by train.
19 - Arrived at Bowen Queensland. I’ve had trains, disembarked and went to Cat repair depot and got a flight to Cairns and arrived back before dark, 2½ hour travel.
20 Saw the skipper, Sweet as Pie! Doc (Carter) not back yet, did a lot of washing and racing about, to bed early.
22 - Ironing and cleaning up hut, mine drop in afternoon Kavieng, return Milne Bay.
23 - Refuelled and straight off the water, I flew from Coast of New Guinea back to Cairns, weather quite rough, really good practice, home and in bed by 1600 hours! Had good sleep.
24 - Up early for breakfast, cool morning, wrote letters, spent afternoon at wharf.
25 - Off the water at 8, arrived Darwin late afternoon, had good night’s rest.
26 - Up early and down to aircraft and did progressive 40 hourly, took off early afternoon for mine drop Surabaya area.
27 - Returned to USA aircraft tender anchored in Dampier area, refuelled, spent day on ship, unbelievably hot! Sailors tending engine room only spending four minutes at a time below! You couldn’t stand on bare deck, canvas rigged over most of deck, slept on board aircraft, mossies, bugs and bloody hot till early morning.
28 - Off water at 0915, 10 hours 25 minutes to Darwin, lovely cool trip.
29 - Had good night’s sleep at RMF camp, did dailies in morning, off in afternoon on mine drop in Babo area, quiet trip, did some strafing on way home.
30 Landed Horn Island late morning, refuelled and had meal then back to Cairns, stinking headache, had a badly needed shave, showered and to bed.

December 1943

1 - Recovering! Did washing then down to aircraft in afternoon.
2 - Curley and the boys got their Sargent stripes today, won at cards in afternoon and after tea decided on an early night, but got called out to move Kites from moorings in a hurry as a ship on fire at wharf adjacent to moorings, finished up at a party after!
3 - Quiet day, went down and cleaned up 43 in afternoon, in bed at 2200.
4 - Swim in morning, cards at night. Had sudden call out, had to go find the crew in town, back to bed at midnight.
5 - A couple of hours sleep and off the water at 0420, convoy duty daylight till dark, 18½ hours, glad to get home to bed.
6 - Late out of bed, had crew photo taken in afternoon.
7 - Went to picture show, ’Holiday Inn’, played cards.
8 - Up in time for breakfast, swim in afternoon, RSL dance at night.
9 - Down town for breakfast, then to the wharf, cards at night.
10 - Circuits and landings in the morning, 3½ hours. Dark till daylight convoy 15½ hours.
11 - On water at 8.30. Showered and rested till lunch, stinking hot went swimming, we have another convoy in the morning.
12 - Out of bed at 2.45. Feeling pretty fuzzy, 15½ hour stint straight to bed.
13 - New chap in hut, spent morning making work table and rearranging hut, swim in afternoon, dance at night, bloody hot!
14 - Didn’t make breakfast! Washing and wrote letters, expecting a job, bed at 10.
15 - Up for breakfast, local testing of 67 and ASV (Anti sub radar) 14 hours, had some dual instruction, coming good on tight turns (great fun) got level flying and recoveries taped.
16 - Haircut in afternoon, also down to kite to paint globes (for night sight). Pictures, saw ’The Fleet’s In’, enjoyed it very much.
17 - Up tor breakfast, getting good at this early rising! Down to 67, ironing in evening, Ted (Doc) visited, bed at 2300.
18 - Onion’s birthday (have no idea who Onion was!) left for Darwin, looks like being away for Christmas, almost 11 hour flight, had to dodge a cyclone. Orders late in evening that Op. appears to be off.
19 - Back to Cairns in 8 hours, good tail wind, glad to be back.
20 - Up early, washing, cleaned up hut, spent morning on 34, swimming in afternoon, letters at night. Boy, were we lucky! Surprise inspection this morning, I’d only just finished cleaning up! A lot of the boys have to make up beds till further notice! (We were not normally expected to make up beds due to the pressure of flying routine, but huts had to be kept reasonably neat and tidy, some blokes were really untidy!)
21 - Kavieng bash in afternoon, very quiet, medium Ack Ack, and searchlights, shot one out and they turned off and went quiet.
22 - Refuelled at Milne Bay, home at 1300, dug trenches at sides of hut in afternoon. (The cyclone season was eminent and it was decided that huts needed to be tied down, logs were cut and buried both side of huts with wires passing over roof.) Very tired, got no sleep last night, to bed early.
23 - Tied down hut in afternoon played poker in evening, won five shillings.
24 - What a miserable day today! I wrote a truly stinking letter to M, didn’t go anywhere, I think that this would be the most miserable Christmas I have ever spent!
25 - Christmas Day, swimming in afternoon in company with some AWAS (Squadron Treat!). Had a good time, pictures in evening, not a bad sort of day!
26 - Left in morning for Moresby, bashed Kavieng and returned to Milne Bay, 23 hours.
27 - Return from Milne Bay, arrived home just ahead of thunderstorm. Won 30 shillings at night.
28 - Washing in morning, took 34 to Bowen in afternoon.
29 - Flew 35 back to Cairns, late tea, wrote letters in evening.
30 - Called out to do rescue in morning, had problems getting away, it turned out to be a taxi service, had to pick up six chaps off a ship! Early to bed!
31 - Looks like the end of 1943! Did a bit of washing, swimming in afternoon – not feeling so good, Curley got a few glasses of gin into me at the RSL club, went to the Aquatic, (a dance hall out over the sea in Cairns) then on to the QUISA, (this was an all services club), till 2.30, then home to bed.

January 1944

1 - Washing in the morning, had a touch of dysentery, took it easy all day. Did 1¼ hour test hop in 28.

A24-28 and -29 were ex US Navy boats, these had no blisters and were basically no more than taxi or fun boats around the squadrons, they had served in action earlier before the arrival of the better equipped PBY -5s. later they really became water taxi’s back at Rathmines and usually flew with only a pilot and engineer as second pilot. I remember being grabbed by a pilot one afternoon at Rathmines and within minutes we were lake hopping down to Rose Bay, Sydney, with several WAAF orderlies from the officer’s mess. We landed and sat at the mooring while they commandeered a RAAF duty truck and minutes later they were back with a case of oranges from the local greengrocer’s. We took off and were back in time for the officers to have fresh oranges with their evening meal! Log book entries for July 11, 17, 19, 20, 21, 26, August 24, 28, September 1, 18, 22, 27 were all trips such as this, sometimes just to take some officers to a night out in Sydney and go collect them again the next morning! All this would have been easier and cheaper than sending a duty truck and two airmen on a long circuitous trip to Newcastle which was a few miles across the lakes. So the New Year’s day flight would have been no more than the skipper ’shooting up’ Cairns and the local area as a celebration!

28 and 29 survived the war and were sold to Kingsford Smith Aviation Services, they had been modified with PBY-5 tail surfaces in early 1944 (their designation was PBY-4) but the flat hinged rear side hatch covers remained, a deadly danger to anyone who was foolish enough to ignore regulations and attempt to wind their worn mechanism out in flight, I was very nearly a victim of one such incident, and spent a week or more in hospital with a split skull as a result! It wasn’t I who caused the problem, but I was the unlucky one when I went aft and discovered someone on the winding handle, I pushed them away at the instant that the mechanism let go and woke up same time later!

2 - Went to Moresby in the morning, refuelled and bashed Kavieng around midnight, had a good time and started a beautiful storage dump fire.
3 - Refuelled at Milne Bay and returned to Cairns. Flopped on bed at 1630 and slept right through till morning.
4 - Up at 7 and had breakfast in the mess, getting to be a habit! 4 hours of circuits and landings in 28 in afternoon. (There were always new pilots being posted to the squadron, they had done a Cat conversion at Rathmines, but still needed checking out under local conditions, and our skipper as squadron commanding officer would check them.)
5 - Quiet day, swam at Barron Waters, RSL in evening.
6 Up at 8.30, wrote letters, very hot, had hair cut. Pictures in evening, saw ’First of the Few’ for the second time.
7 - Flew to Bowen in the morning for 34. swam in Bowen seawater baths in evening, hot water, not nice! Very few people used these baths, water always too bloody hot!
8 - Odd jobs on 34 in the morning, swam at Horseshoe Bay, dance in evening.
9 - 34 ready, off the slip and 4 hour test in morning.
10 - Back to Cairns at 10.45. I flew most of the way back, getting good now!
11 - 34 in morning checking dinghies, early night after losing 15 shillings.
12 - Making table and drawer for 34, it’s supposed to be our aircraft from now on! I wonder how long it will last! This has happened before! Lost money in evening at cards.
13 - 8 hour trip to Darwin.
14 - Mine drop Halmaheras, flew right on sea level till dark, then bright moonlight.
15 - Back to Darwin, good night’s sleep.
16 - Another mine job the same as before, plenty of cloud cover, a bit of opposition from the ground defences.
17-19 - Just rested, a rare change, magnificent sunsets.
20 - Action! Off 0340 hours on rescue mission in Timor area, flew up at zero altitude through islands, picked up crew survivors of USA Liberator, five men, three badly knocked about. We actually landed in the huge flooded caldera of an ancient volcano, only massive remnants of old cone left, but vents still active on one remaining part, Japanese held Dutch territories.
21 - Slept most of the day.
22 - Darwin to Snake Bay, Melville Island to check Cat that caught fire on water, off again after an hour and return to Cairns.
23 - Sunday, washing and writing letters, good to hear a bit of music after a week away. Spirits are a bit low, talk of leave in three weeks, lost 30 shillings at cards.
24 - To aircraft in morning to clean up. Won 27/6 in afternoon and 5/- in evening, got watch fixed, cleaned up hut and went to bed at 2200 hours
25 - Hut inspection, the ’Mistress’ was maggoty, he reckons I’ve gone troppo, maybe I have, I’m sure as Hell not the only one, it was all about the colours that I had painted the inside of the hut, I almost got myself put on a charge for silent insolence, it was all over some humorous cartoons that I had drawn in chalk on the inside hut walls! I guess he had a good point, but it was my hut! I had been alone in the hut ever since two of my hut mates had been lost in quick succession, one of them never even got to unpack his gear! No one wanted the bed after that.
26 - Nothing!
27 - Down and checked kite early. Raining buckets! The boys came in later and wrecked the hut, that’s the second time this week! Things are starting to get out of hand.
28 - Building a beer garden next to the mess, took a truck and loaded gravel for the floor, went to town for a haircut, bought calsomine (paint) for the hut and painted in the evening. Pink and blue, it looks a bit pansy, but at least it’s bright!

I have just realised that the incident mentioned above as the 25th is incorrect, and in fact the painting of the hut was a direct result of the Duty Officer’s remarks that the interior walls of the hut looked like a pigsy, or some such remark, that led to the lurid paint job. In fact one of the cartoons I drew on the walls referred in a vague manner to the inspecting officer who had given orders that all huts with grubby looking interior walls had to be painted within a week, when he would inspect them again! I wasn’t the only one with a gay paint job, I guess we were all getting a bit fed up.

29 - Still finishing off painting, wrote first good letter to M in months, in bed at 2300.
30 - Painting floor and beadings, then off for a swim while it dries. Played poker in afternoon, opening of beer garden in evening and farewell for some of the boys going South.
31 - Can’t remember getting back to hut last night, bad hangover, terrible stomach upset, raining like Hell, managed to get hut back into shape.

February 1944

1 - Crystal Waters in afternoon to get ferns for around the huts, the management, has gone mad on beautifying our slums, won 25 shillings in evening, this will help my battered financial situation.
2 - Made baskets for the ferns in the beer garden, getting fed up with this place, no letters for ages, lost 10 bob in the evening.
3 - No breakfast, messed about all day. Lost 2 pounds 5 shillings at cards, maybe that will teach me, at least my cobber won about the same amount.
4 - Missed breakfast again, rained most of the day, played whist afternoon and evening, no money involved! Maybe I am learning something!
5 - Made it to breakfast, got a couple of letters, not before time! Checked out 72 in afternoon.
6 - Went up to Kuranda in the morning, had lunch on the river, across to the Barron in the afternoon and then on to Crystal Waters where we had tea, back home by 7. (We must have had someone’s car for the day, a few lucky chaps had cars, and there was always some loose petrol about the place, all aircraft had to have a couple of pints drained from each tank on the daily inspection.)
7 - Test fly 55 in afternoon, played cards and lost in evening.
8 - Something is happening! Off to Brisbane at 0710, landed at Hamilton on the Brisbane river, off to town to a Newsreel, back to bed at Catalina hostel near river.
9 - Refuelled Kite in morning went into town and saw Qantas in evening, bed early.

This trip was the result of the rescue of the American survivors almost three weeks ago. At that time we transported the son of the local village chief and a couple of other natives to Australia where they were flown to the Dutch intelligence centre in Brisbane and questioned about the Japanese presence in the area. The active volcanic cone was inhabited. It was now our job to fly them back home together with a couple of Dutch intelligence officers to check the area first hand. The Japs patrolled the islands on an irregular basis, and moves were being made to set up some sort of information network as part of the coast watch strategy. We were treated to a grand reception at the Dutch headquarters and presented with full commando outfits. I think I still have one sheath knife left! The Dutch did their best to get us well and truly drunk, and pretty well succeeded!

Qantas at this time were actively campaigning to have experienced Catalina pilots and engineers attached to a unit that was being formed to fly a mail passenger route from Perth across the Indian ocean, this was being considered as a necessity by the government as a direct fast line of communication to Britain. Some flights were made, but nothing came of it. By this time other long-range land based aircraft had been developed and with the cessation of hostilities in Britain, there were civilianised versions of the Lancaster bomber and others.

10 - Loaded our passengers and off water at 0900, stayed at Bowen overnight, almost eaten by mosquitos as usual. It was said that you need not worry about getting bitten by Bowen mosquitos – the danger was that a gang of them may carry you off to their mates back in the swamps behind the town!
11 - Bowen to Darwin.
12 - Working on aircraft, burnt out solenoid, replaced it, but it took all day, had tea and to bed.,
13 - Refuel aircraft and checking.
14 - Off to the island with Beaufort escort at 1515 hours arrived at dusk, no opposition, spent night taking turns as guards on top of main plane, armed with a sub-machine gun, luckily no Jap patrol boats appeared! Had a lovely swim at daybreak, big problem when we tried to haul up our folding stainless steel kedge anchor, it had slipped dawn into a cleft in the rock pile floor of the caldera, we considered chopping through the SS wire rope, but having been in swimming I volunteered to go down and try to free it, crew pulled forward to give slack rope and I dived off the wing. I have certainly never dived so deep before or since, ears were popping and my eyesight blurred but finding the anchor was no problem in the clear water and I was lucky enough to be able to get in and fold it up and release it, then a quick trip to the surface, climb on board and start engines and we were away just before sun-up. four hour trip back to Darwin, out to aircraft in afternoon, back to camp for late tea and then pictures.
15 - Finished 40 hourly inspection, left for Bowen in the evening at 2020 hours
16 - Arrived and took straight off for Brisbane. Attended a complementary function at Dutch headquarters. Jim (wireless operator) got drunk, Curley real drunk and Doc finished up in the DTs. (We had a terrible job getting them into a staff car and safely home to the hostel. Doc broke away when we stopped the car and charged off through the hostel’s rose garden. Next morning he woke up covered in blood and scratches and at breakfast the lady in charge was trying to find out what had happened to her rose garden!}
17 - Off water at 1240 for Bowen, went to dance in evening, best time we have had in months.
18 - Went to leave Bowen early, but flywheel flew off starter inertia and burnt out starter, took most of the day to replace, finally arrived Cairns at 1940, I managed to get a lot of flying in this trip.
19 - Seven days leave! What will we do with it?
20-22 - Writing letters and swimming, made formal application to Qantas.
23 - Had an accident at the moorings, ship broke away while being berthed and crushed aircraft at moorings, 33 lost a wing tip float. Skipper volunteered to fly it to Bowen with one float! We sat a man on the opposite wing tip with the good float until we left the moorings and got lined up for take off, man races down wing and jumps into blister compartment and the skipper gives her the gun, up comes the good float and we were off. Arrived Bowen and reversed procedure, worked like a charm, I think the skipper may have had himself heavily backed to succeed, one of his mates flew down in another aircraft and flew him straight back to Cairns (probably to collect his winnings!) I decided to stay at Bowen for remainder of leave.
24-26 - Had a good time at Bowen swimming, pictures and dances, Bowen was pretty dead in the daytime, but there was usually some entertainment about at night.
27 - Back to Cairns in 77, home just in time for lunch. Clean up and washing and to bed.
28 - Quiet day, dance at RSL in evening.
29 - Big surprise, we take aircraft South in a couple of days, and LEAVE! did washing ironing and packing. Sent 20 pounds home to Mum to bank.

March 1944

1 - 0915, test flight in 68, our taxi South! Off again in late afternoon, skipper Sq. Leader Havyatt.

I remember that 68 was loaded to capacity with airmen and crew going home on leave and postings South, we were very overloaded! The skipper was adamant that he could get off the water without offloading any of the happy passengers, but after two aborted attempts to break free of the water we were all expecting a return to the moorings and offloading some personnel. But the word went down the aircraft that Geoff would try a bit further out of the river where there was a fair chop, and for everyone to hang on for just one more try, full throttle, (and probably a bit more!) several big bumps and then hanging on the props and we were off. A great cheer went through the aircraft and I guess it made Geoff feel pretty good, sad that he like many others were not to see the war through.

2 - Arrived Rathmines, off loaded some passengers and then on to Rose Bay, Sydney, where I caught the train to Adelaide and home.

Unfortunately my leave turned out to be rather less than successful! My wife didn’t feel married to me (so she said!) and I found myself on the train heading back to Sydney little more than a week later. I arrived back in Sydney to be told that our leave had been extended as promised till 23rd but the promised telegram to confirm this had never been sent to me! So I returned to Melbourne for a couple of days and then eventually returned to Rathmines on the 24th. For me at least this leave was an almost total loss!

27 - Finally our entire crew straggled back to Rathmines several days overdue.
We had a system where leave was extended until an aircraft was available for us to fly back to Cairns, The Skipper or Navigator kept in touch by telephone or telegram with the crew members in Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne (most of our crew were Sydneysiders) but this system was considered too tricky for someone as far away as Adelaide with the problems of train travel, and so I missed out badly – it would have been different had my skipper been a South Australian! So it was that we departed Rathmines in 49, skipper, F/0 Wilkinson.
28 - Saw us stranded on the Brisbane river to avoid a violent tropical storm front approaching.
29 - After a couple of days wait in Brisbane we continued to Cairns on the 30th.

31 March onwards

Upon my return to Cairns I was forced to report to the Medical Officer over an ear problem that had become progressively worse over the previous couple of months, I had figured that a bit of leave down South would cure it, but the MO said definitely no more flying until there was some improvement in what was diagnosed as an ongoing infection of the inner ear, probably caused by flying with a head cold and the fact that I had noticed that I couldn’t always clear my ears when changes of altitude took place. So I had a chat to the skipper and the second engineer took my position in the crew, thus my operation tours with 20 and 11 squadrons ended with an entry on the 23rd February 1944, Cairns to Bowen, one float on aircraft, three hours five minutes. April was spent in making wooden jewel boxes and tea trays and veneering them with scraps from the local Cairns veneer slicing factory, these articles have survived over the years apparently. Not the same can be said for a delicately detailed model of a Supermarine Spitfire built from the same thin veneer, somehow it just disappeared in the years after the war while my life was in turmoil.

My ear healed, but a perforated eardrum caused a significant loss of hearing, thus I was relegated to ground duties for a short period, then a posting to America on ferrying duties. But this was changed almost on the eve of departure to a posting to the Liberator instruction complex at Tocumwal, where as a Warrant Officer Engineer I became number one (I hesitate to say Chief!) classroom and flying instructor in hydraulics, carburation and exhaust driven supercharger systems. The war in Europe ended around this time while I was in Sydney doing a two week instructor’s technique course. When the Pacific war ended I was attending a similar bullshit course at Point Cook, Victoria.

Thus it was that I spent my last months in the RAAF as the last of the seven OTU (Tocumwal) training unit together with the Officer in charge. I was seldom at the unit, spending most of my time in Melbourne where I had over the years found a second home. Eventually I was posted to Adelaide for demobilisation in early 1946. Our Skipper Dinny Lawrence and I, both had suspected appendix problems (probably about the only thing we shared!) and it had become obvious to members of the crew that he wasn’t a completely healthy man. The first operation that he carried out, after I left the crew, the second pilot was doing the bulk of his duties – even take offs and landings so it was said. On the second operation he was taken violently ill several hours out and the aircraft was turned back, he arrived at the Cairns hospital with a ruptured appendix, and his recovery was seen to be a minor miracle. However such was his constitution that he recovered in time and eventually went on to fly again in ops. out of Darwin. It was here that he had another close shave when a refuelling hose discharged high-octane petrol all over him coming to within a whisker of ending his life, he was certainly a person with a good quota of lives.