Jarvis, Norman Eldridge (Warrant Officer, b.1920 - d.1949)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 410413 Warrant Officer Norman Eldridge Jarvis, 61 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, 1945.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of one printed memoir of Warrant Officer Norman Eldridge Jarvis. This memoir covers a period between 1943 and 1945, including Warrant Officer Jarvis’ embarkation, training, service with 61 Squadron, time as a prisoner of war of the Germans, and return to Australia. This memoir was written in 1945, during Warrant Officer Jarvis’ journey home. In his memoir, Warrant Officer Jarvis writes about embarkation from Queensland, arriving in the United States, travelling by train from California to Massachusetts, sightseeing in New York, travelling to the United Kingdom, air raids, having leave, operational training, gaining confidence in his crew, aircraft accidents, beginning his operational service with 61 Squadron, preparation for operational flights, his experiences of being a bomb aimer in bombing operations over France and Germany, facing anti-aircraft guns and enemy fighter aircraft, participating in D-Day operations in June 1944, seeing other bombing crews being shot down around them, risky landings, daytime raids, and superstitions of aircrews. Warrant Officer Jarvis goes on to write about being wounded and shot down by a German fighter aircraft near Paris, being rescued by French locals, recovering in hospital as a prisoner of war, being moved away as the Allied forces advanced, being interrogated, settling in to a prisoner of war camp for Allied airmen, meeting old friends and sharing stories, life in the camp, a forced march away from the camp in bitterly cold weather, poor living conditions, inadequate rations, receiving Red Cross parcels, being liberated by Russian forces, and returning to Australia via England.