100 Years of Service
To mark the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force the Memorial is sharing stories, photos and information about Australian service in the sky. These articles illustrate the personal experiences of RAAF members; their strength, courage and sacrifice.
'You had a job to do ... and you did it to the best of your ability'
Ken Semmler was one of 36 Australians who flew close air support missions with the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War.
'We had a job to do and we wouldn’t let any of our crew down'
Laurie Woods, now 95, served with Bomber Command during the Second World War and was one of more than 3,300 Australians who were involved in the D-Day campaign.
“Your son is alive and well”
"Your son is alive and well" Pilot Officer Vance Drummond had been missing in action since early December 1951. In May 1953 his parents received a telegram confirming their son was a prisoner of war.
'I did what I had to do'
John Ireland's first mission was almost his last.
'It changed our lives, it really did'
For 96-year-old Gordon Richardson, Anzac Day means everything.
'I'm biased, but I think it's the best thing in the Memorial'
It was affectionately known as “the pig” for its ability to fly low and fast during bombing runs, but to pilot Geoffrey Talbot the F-111 was simply “magnificent”.
Squadron Leader Douglas Sampson and the “Camera Spies”
On 6 June 1944, Flight Lieutenant Douglas Sampson strapped into his Supermarine Spitfire Mk XI and flew from RAF Northolt in the west of London, crossing the English Channel before entering German-occupied France.
'You really fly this ... and it's just a joy'
From pursuing Russian submarines during the Cold War to the search for MH370, the Orion is one of the RAAF’s quiet achievers. But to Wing Commander Marija ‘Maz’ Jovanovich, it’s like a much-loved old friend.
An enduring hope
When Ethel Freeth was told that her son, Flight Sergeant John Freeth, had been killed during the Second World War, she refused to believe it. She was convinced he had survived the crash and never gave up hope of finding him alive.
'A wonderful example to all'
He was known for his “magnificent fighting spirit and great skill”, but to his family, Squadron Leader Peter Turnbull was the much loved son and brother who gave his all for his country.
Learn more
RAAF losses in Bomber Command: understanding the numbers
Flying Officer Colin Flockhart was typical of the many young men who enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War. A boy from the suburbs
With the Dayaks in Borneo
Air-dropped into enemy-held territory, a small Allied force prepared the way for the final assault.
The 1951 Mount Lamington volcanic eruption
In late January 1951 local authorities in the northern district of Australian-administered Papua entered an alien landscape. The usual dense vegetation had been transformed into fields of burnt ash and destruction.
"A queer business this taking off in the dark": The diaries of Lieutenant William Palstra
A pioneer of night flying over front lines, and credited with shooting down six enemy planes while serving with Australian Flying Corps, Lieutenant Palstra survived the war but died when an airship the British press dubbed ‘The Titanic of the Skies’ crashed on its maiden flight to India in 1930.
The Role of Catalinas in Australia’s War in the Pacific
It is often said that the Consolidated PBY Catalinas were to Australia what the Supermarine Spitfire was to Britain. With an ability to fly long hours at a low altitude at a slow pace (ideal for mine placement), it was one of the most important Allied aircraft of the Pacific War.
75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden
It was thought that Operation Market Garden would deal Germany a blow from which it could not recover, potentially ending the war by Christmas 1944. But it would be prove to be anything but a quick advance to victory.
The RAAF at Milne Bay
Australian forces turned back a Japanese invasion of Papua in 1942.
The Role of Aircraft
Read about the importance of aircraft in military intelligence
Operation Varsity: 75th Anniversary
Today marks the 75th anniversary of Operation Varsity, the Allied airborne crossing of the Rhine.
