Informal group portrait of four RAF/RAAF servicemen, identified as (from left) Arthur, Graham, ...

Informal group portrait of four RAF/RAAF servicemen, identified as (from left) Arthur, Graham, George and Doug, taken at Tel Aviv beach. 401206 Sgt George Downton, a clerk from Brighton, Victoria, enlisted in 1940, aged 22. He trained under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), initially at No 1 Bombing and Gunnery School (1 BAGS) RAAF Base Evans Head, as a wireless operator and air gunner (WAG). He completed his training in Kenya before being posted to 1437 Strategic Reconnaissance Flight RAF, part of the 285 Reconnaissance Wing of the Western Desert Air Force in North Africa. On 21 April 1943 the Martin Baltimore light bomber, in which he was gunner, was attacked whilst on operations over the Italian held territory of Cape Bon, Tunisia, eventually crash-landing in flames. Despite being wounded, Sgt Downton managed to rescue one of his comrades before the flames became too intense. For his actions he was later awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM). Captured by the Italians he was taken Prisoner of War (POW). He returned to Australia as a Warrant Officer (WO) late in 1945 and found work with the Repatriation Department, repatriating war brides. He passed away on 24th April 2001.

• Informal portrait of 401206 Sergeant (Sgt) George Alban Downton in flying suit. Sgt Downton, a ...
• Informal portrait of 401206 Sergeant (Sgt) George Alban Downton, RAAF, reading a newspaper at ...