Bartholomew, Alfred William (Sergeant, b.1899 - d.1982)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 32292 Sergeant Alfred William Bartholomew, Royal Australian Air Force, Australia, 1940-1942.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of one letter and one diary relating to the service of Sergeant Alfred William Bartholomew. The letter, dated 22 May 1940, is written by the Service Manager of Hastings Deering Service Limited, Sergeant Bartholomew’s workplace before his enlistment. It highly recommends the services of Sergeant Bartholomew as a mechanic and foreman. The letter was originally kept within the diary. The dairy contains entries written by Sergeant Bartholomew between 15 February and 8 October 1942. It covers the period of his early service as an aircraft mechanic with the Royal Australian Air Force in Australia. In his diary, Sergeant Bartholomew writes about hearing about the fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin, assembling aircraft, going home on leave, rations, daily routines, seeing films at the cinema, numerous aircraft repairs, receiving a promotion, practicing shooting in preparation for an invasion, visiting friends in hospital, digging trenches, attending training lectures, moving squadrons, sightseeing in Wagga Wagga, the weather, doing woodwork jobs, being on guard duty, learning new types of engines, small incidents in the camp, frustrations regarding leave, attending concerts, staff movements, treating chilblains, feeling ill, testing engines, and quick mechanical problem-solving.

Sergeant Alfred William Bartholomew enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 15 July 1940. He served as an aircraft mechanic on RAAF stations at Richmond and Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and Laverton, Victoria. At the time of his discharge on 13 September 1945, Sergeant Bartholomew was serving at 1 Engineering School.