Erb, Henry Joseph, DFC (Flying Officer, b.1922 - d.2005)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 414665 Flying Officer Henry Joseph Erb, 460 Squadron and 467 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Australia and United Kingdom, 1942-1945.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Contains two folders of material relating to Flying Officer Erb.

Folder 1 of 2 contains one flying log book of Flying Officer Erb, with entries dated between 25 June 1942 and 30 August 1944. It covers Flying Officer Erb’s period of training in Australia and service as an air gunner in the United Kingdom. The entries record details such as dates and times of flights, types and numbers of aircraft, duties, purposes of flights, and additional notes. Some of the purposes recorded include air gunnery training, operational training, aircraft conversion, mine laying, and bombing operations targeting enemy-occupied Europe. This log book also includes copies of congratulatory notes and a list of Flying Officer Erb’s friends and their fates.

Folder 2 of 2 consists of documents relating to Flying Officer Erb’s service. It contains:
1x Letter from the Secretary of the Governor-General to Flying Officer Erb, Canberra, 27 October 1945
1x Officer’s Certificate of Service, issued 12 November 1945.

Flying Officer Henry Joseph Erb enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force on 8 November 1941. He trained in Australia as an air gunner, and went on to serve with 460 Squadron and 467 Squadron, based in the United Kingdom. With these units, Flying Officer Erb took part in strategic bombing operations over enemy-occupied Europe. On one mission over the Ruhr region of Germany, he was wounded in the head by anti-aircraft fire, but refused to leave his turret until the aircraft safely crossed the English Channel. For his actions he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 19 January 1945. Flying Officer Erb was discharged on 8 October 1945.