Informal group portrait of four graduates of an Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) course in ...

Informal group portrait of four graduates of an Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) course in Rhodesia. Probably taken at the port of Mombassa, Kenya, several of these recent graduates were about to depart for service with 454 Squadron RAAF in the Eastern Mediterranean. Left to right: 406684 Sergeant (Sgt) Ralph Mervyn Simpson RAAF, killed in action on 4 December 1943, Charlie Mumford, 403215 (O210106) Sergeant David Valentine Paul and 400954 Sergeant George Townson Agg. Sgt Paul, later promoted to Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) enlisted on 4 January 1941 and trained as a pilot with the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Rhodesia. He was posted to 454 Squadron RAAF. Flying a Baltimore aircraft from a base in North Africa he was shot down on 4 December 1943 during a sortie over the Mediterranean, Sgt Simpson being killed after parachuting from the crashing aircraft. Rescued from the sea with surviving crew members Agg, now a Warrant Officer (WO) and WO 645357 Jim Rennie RAF, Paul became a prisoner of war (POW) of the Germans, finally being released in 1945 at Stalag IVb POW camp in 1945 at Muhlberg, Germany. He joined the NSW Police Force after the war and remained in the RAAF Reserve rising to the rank of Squadron Leader.