Land, Frank (Flying Officer, b.1913 - d.1988)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 428719 Flying Officer Frank Land, Royal Australian Air Force, Canada and the United Kingdom, 1943-1944.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of one letter and nine airgraph letters from Flying Officer Frank Land to his mother and family. The letters, dated between 12 August 1943 and 28 July 1944, cover the period of Flying Officer Land’s training in Canada and the United Kingdom. In his letters, Flying Officer Land writes about receiving mail from home, feeling homesick, working with drogues, settling into camp, working hard during training, the weather, bombing and gunnery practice, training being delayed due to snow, his diet, having leave, being in a crew with three other Australians, practicing night flying, sightseeing on days off, going for bicycle rides, participating in drills, and transferring to a new station. Flying Officer Land also responds to news from home.

Flying Officer Frank Land enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force on 10 October 1942. He trained as a bomb aimer in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and went on to serve with 462 Squadron, based in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. With 462 Squadron, Flying Officer Land participated in bombing operations against enemy-occupied Europe. On 9 October 1944, while on an operation targeting Bocholt, Germany, Flying Officer Land’s Halifax bomber was hit by flack and severely damaged. All crew bailed out successfully, although several were wounding, including Flying Officer Land. Flying Officer Land was captured as a prisoner of war of the Germans, and was interned in several German camps. In May 1945, Flying Officer Land was liberated by the Russian army. He returned to Australia, and was discharged on 13 November 1945.