| Accession Number | P09137.004 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Digital file |
| Maker |
Layton, Ronald Frederick |
| Place made | Germany: Berlin |
| Date made | 1945 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
The Winston Club on the Kurfuerstendamm, main street in Berlin, a club for other ranks for rest ...
Description
The Winston Club on the Kurfuerstendamm, main street in Berlin, a club for other ranks for rest and recreation as well as a store (NAAFI). The photographer, 61252 Leading Aircraftman (LAC) Ronald Frederick (Ron) Layton, 453 Squadron RAAF, had hitched a ride in a truck to Berlin from Wunstorf (where he was stationed) with his mate "Undie" Underwood and two RAF men while he was posted to Germany as member of British occupation forces. The photograph is captioned: "This is the Allied Services Club. Food, toiletry, Beer available. Crowds outside offering anything for soap, cigarettes, coffee, chocolate at night. "I got a Leica camera (brand new) for cigarettes (I forgot how many)." No. 453 Squadron RAAF was posted to Germany in 1945 following almost three years of service attached to Fighter Command and based in Scotland. The squadron remained in Britain for several months before deploying to join the British occupation forces in Germany on 29 August. It was planned that 453 Squadron (along with 451 Squadron) would form part of a long-term Australian presence with the occupation forces, but a lack of volunteers for an extra year's service made this impractical and 453 Squadron disbanded at Wunstorf, Germany, on 21 January 1946. LAC Layton, a sheet metal worker of Grafton, NSW, enlisted in 1940 when he was aged 20 years. He initially trained with the 41st Battalion but successfully applied to transfer to the RAAF. He undertook several training courses; in 1942 as an instrument repairer and in 1944 as an instrument maker. He was posted to Goodenough Island in 1943 and to various establishments in Australia. On 25 April 1945 he was sent to the Middle East along with approximately 30 others for posting overseas. He ended up in England before being sent to Germany as a member of 453 Squadron. He returned to Australia in 1946 and was discharged from the RAAF in May of that year. He resumed his job at Schaeffer and Sons Pty Ltd following discharge.