Observer's brevet brooch : Flight Lieutenant C C Linn, RAAF

RAAF observer's 'O' brevet brooch. The embroidered brevet has a dark blue background and shows a white 'O' within a blue wreath and a white wing to the side. The brevet has been adhered to a plastic backing with a pin fastening to form a brooch. The shape of the plastic backing has changed over time to give the brooch a curved appearance and as a result the pin fastening can no longer be secured.

Observer's brevet brooch associated with 422863 Flight Lieutenant Colin Cecil Linn, born on 14 April 1915 in Mount Gambier, South Australia. In February 1942 Linn enlisted in the militia as a private and was assigned service number N334129. In May he was discharged from 2 Military District Base Postal Unit and joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). In 1943 Linn qualified as an air observer and navigator and on 13 June completed a flight in Avro Anson W2486, the nose and cockpit section of which is held in the Australian War Memorial’s collection (REL/20185.001, REL/20185.002). Linn served with 66 Squadron in Bundaberg and 73 Squadron in Nowra before being posted to Port Moresby in April 1944 where he trained to be flight crewman in B-24 Liberator bombers with the 5th United States Army Air Force (USAAF). Linn returned to Australia and continued to fly USAAF aircraft with 529 Squadron USAAF (380th Bomb Group) and 21 Squadron RAAF. He was discharged from 7 Operational Training Unit on 21 December 1945. This observer's brevet was originally sewn to Linn's service dress tunic and later made into a brooch.