Wooden model of Mosquito aircraft : Flight Sergeant V R Clements, RAAF

Painted balsa wood model of a Mosquito aircraft placed at angle on a metal pin projecting from a wooden pole bearing a carved silver-painted snake entwined around it. The snake has an incised pattern on its head and back to represent scales and its metal eyes hold it in place on the pole. The pole is placed in one corner of a wooden base with a triangular silver painted depression, edged with brown and olive green painted lines, carved into it, designed either as an ash or pin tray. The Mosquito has a plastic canopy and is painted silver underneath and in brown and green camouflage pattern on the upper surface. There are blue, red, white roundels on the upper and lower surfaces of the wings and on each side of the rear fuselage. 'RAF' is written on each side of the fuselage.

This model was made in 1944 by 423395 Flight Sergeant Vernon Rupert Clements, aboard the SS Queen Mary when he was returing to Australia after service in Europe with Bomber Command. Clements initially served as a sergeant in the army in the Second World War, enlisting in July 1940 and serving with 2 Field Survey Company, Royal Australian Engineers. He transferred to the RAAF in June 1942 and was posted to England. His initial training was in navigation but he served as a rear gunner. While steady flying did not affect him, he became incapacitated by air sickness whenever his pilot had to take violent evasive action to avoid flak or German night fighters. After completing a single tour of operations he returned to Australia. Clements was discharged in May 1945.