| Accession Number | P07040.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1941 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 402118 Sergeant (Sgt) William 'Bill' Henry James Gourley, RAAF, 76 Squadron ...
Description
Studio portrait of 402118 Sergeant (Sgt) William 'Bill' Henry James Gourley, RAAF, 76 Squadron RAF, of Leichhardt, New South Wales. A commercial traveller prior to enlistment, Sgt Gourley also served for four years in the 53rd Battalion, Citizens Military Forces (CMF) before enlisting with the RAAF on 27 May 1940. He embarked for Canada in October 1940 to undergo pilot training as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), where he was promoted to Sergeant on 16 January 1941. A month later he embarked for service in the United Kingdom. Sgt Gourley was killed on operations when the Halifax L9529 he was piloting crashed near La Rochelle, France, on 24 July 1941.