Birca111 1944 Benghasi - Baltimore Aircraft
Crew -
Left to right -
W/O Bert Lee Nav/Bomb
Aimer;
W/O Steve Brown - Pilot
W/O Tommy Sherwin WAG
W/O Ernie Job -
Turret Gunner
Stephen S. Brown's entry:
"I served ( as Pilot) in
459 Squadron from August 1944 to disbandment, under
“Pete” Henderson and later
C.E.Payne as Commanding
Officers and Jim McHale and Bob Norman as
Flight Commanders. In that time I flew 28 sorties
with my crew: W/O Lee, W/O Job and W/O Sherwin."
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Date of Birth : 7.12.1921
Joined Aust. Military
Forces 4.11.41 No. T20371
Discharged A.M.F.
28.9.42 - Rank - Signalman
- Joined RAAF
9.10.42 - Rank A/C11 (428067)
Served as Guard at
Colac GRS 4.11.42 - 7.12.42
Trained at Somers
(Vic) 7.12.42 - 3.3.43
Flying Training at
Western Junction (Tas).
3.3.43 - 6.5.43 - to
embarkation, Sydney.
Trained at Brantford (Ontario) 13.6.43 -
15.10.43 - Obtained wings - Graduated Sgt.Pilot
Trained at Sommerside
(Prince Edward Island - Canada) - 28.10.43 -
19.12.43 - Graduated to GRS Pilot
Embarked Halifax
30.1.44 to Brighton (England) 1.2.44
Embarked Liverpool
16.3.44 to Port Said (ME) 25.3.44
Trained at OTU
Gianaclis (Egypt) 5.6.44
28.7.44 Graduated to
Hudsons and Baltimores, joined 459 Squadron
11.8.44
459 Squadron -
Birca111 Benghasi 1944 - Baltimores -
Stephen Brown then W/O Pilot "Writing Home".
NOTE: Steel bed frame
to allow for blow-torching of
bed bugs and other annoyances.
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Stephen Brown - Pilot 459 Squadron - Birca111
1944
Crew Accommodation - 1 crew (4) per tent -
tins filled with sand to stop tent being blown
away in sand storms.
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Flew 28 missions in
Mediterranean and Aegean
Started as SGT.Pilot
to S/SGT to WO on 1.4.45
- Discharged as
O.R. 1.11.45
Squadron
Decommissioned 9.2.45
Shipped to England -
Chevinor, North Devon to train on Wellingtons
but war ended before operational.
Returned to Australia via Brighton
Discharged 14.12.45 -
Rank - Flying Officer
Awarded 1939-45 Italy
Star
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