A group portrait of the members of two training courses at 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU). ...

Accession Number P03901.005
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Print silver gelatin
Place made Australia: Victoria, Bairnsdale
Date made 5 October 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

A group portrait of the members of two training courses at 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU). The front three rows are Beaufort crews, while the back three rows are Hudson crews. There were 12 Hudson crews that attended the No 2 Hudson Operational Training Course, which commenced on 11 August 1942 and was completed on 6 October with all crews finishing successfully. Identified, fourth row, ninth from left is 415152 Pilot Officer (PO) Ray Kelly who was trained by 250528 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) David Campbell DFC. Both pilots flew 1 OTU's Lockheed Hudson A16-105 aircraft (now in the Australian War Memorial's collection). PO Kelly flew A16-105 during training and Flt Lt Campbell as an instructor and flying supplies to the troops at Buna and Sanananda, Papua, during December 1942 to January 1943, while attached to 1 OTU Detached Flight. In the row second from the rear, fifth from left is 407242 Flying Officer (FO) Mervyn William Johns, who was posted to 2 Squadron RAAF and shot down by Japanese fighters in Hudson A16-210 aircraft over Timor on 27 December 1942.

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