Group portrait of RAAF Servicemen standing in front of a Wellington Bomber, taken as a publicity ...

Accession Number P03490.002
Collection type Photograph
Object type Print
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom: England
Date made November 1941-April 1942
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

Group portrait of RAAF Servicemen standing in front of a Wellington Bomber, taken as a publicity photograph to accompany a reporter's story. Identified from Left to Right are: 402223 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Harry Chinn [Henry Adolphus Echin], RAAF (served with 405 Squadron RCAF, later killed on operations on 30 June 1942); 404484 Flt Sgt Graham Henry David Higgins, RAAF (served with 78 Squadron (Sqn) RAF and was killed on operations over the North Sea on 11 August 1942); A Johnson, RAAF; 404453 Flying Officer (FO) Robert Keep (Bob) Durbridge, RAAF (served with 405 Sqn RCAF and was killed on operations over North West Europe on 10 March 1942); 404434 Pilot Officer (PO) Allan John Slaughter, RAAF (served with ATTD Royal Air Force Station, Defford, United Kingdom, and died in an accident on 16 July 1943); 404247 Flt Sgt Moheddeen Abdull Ghias (Bob) Howsan, RAAF, Captain of the Bomber in the background (served with 405 Sqn RCAF and was killed on operations over France on 1 April 1942); 404654 FO Frank Howard Mitchell, RAAF (served with 405 Sqn RCAF and was killed on operations over Holland on 27 January 1943); 402798 Flt Sgt David Kilgour Lloyd, RAAF (served with 405 Sqn RCAF and was killed on operations over the United Kingdom on 12 April 1942); J Dyson, RAAF, probably 402569 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) John Henry Dyson of Mosman NSW attached to 405 Squadron RCAF, lost on operations over Keil Germany on 26 February 1942; 404481 Flt Sgt Joffre Birdwood (Sammy) Bell, RAAF. None of the Servicemen above actually flew together. On 14/15 April 1942 while returning from a mission over Dortmund, Flt Sgt Echin was a member of a crew which all baled out safely; this portrait may have been taken at this time.