# RAAF 22 Squadron: some pictures, logbooks etc



## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok, hoping the stuff I have scanned will actually come up ok if I load it here.

I have a small pile of stuff from my late uncle who flew A-28 14 which went missing in PNG on 9th Feb 1943. Plus letters from some old guys with their personal accounts of their time with the 22 Sqd.

Ok, finger's crossed this works.....I'll just do one to start as I'm not confident of my ability to upload properly

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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

Crap, sorry, that's a bit large.........umm...this is a photo of the whole Squadron.

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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

Logbook

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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

More logbook.....sorry it's so huge. At least we can read it properly I suppose. I note it's all signed by Learmonth.

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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok, apologies to the admin guys. I don't know how to shrink this stuff so it's a reasonable size. if you want me to delete please say so. If anyone knows how to make it smaller I'll happily email copies......


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## Wildcat (Jan 12, 2010)

Fascinating stuff Jemm! I love the sqn photo and I thought Keith Hampshire's letter was a very thorough run down of events sent to Bill's Mum. Of note is the fact that Hampshire went on to become a night fighter ace with 456sqnRAAF in Europe.


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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

I've got stacks more. I'm just wondering whether to type a copy of a letter an old bloke wrote me about his time with the 22 or try and scan it. His writing isn't that clear so maybe I should type it.

I've got the 'we regret to inform you" telegram as well. All very depressing. And I think the saddest part is that in 1986, my old grandma was STILL writing to the Dept of Defence every other year wanting to know if there was news of Bill. The poor lady spent all those years wondering. She died in 1992, aged 97, never knowing what had really happened. Tragic stuff.


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## Heinz (Jan 12, 2010)

Thanks for posting Jemm! Appreciate your time to do so.


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 12, 2010)

Thank you Jemm for posting this info.

Cheers

Peter


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## A4K (Jan 12, 2010)

With the guys, thanks for posting Jemm!
You have to feel sorry for any family receiving such a letter as that posted...

Great info and photos in any case, be interesting to read anything you can post.

Evan


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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

I've got a lot of the administrative letters and stuff. Also all enlistement docs and testing results etc. And the sad stuff, like an inventory of his possessions that were returned to the family and a couple of personal letters. Not much actual plane-related stuff. Some of it is very poor photocopies that might not scan well at all. 

But Im typing up the 4 page (4 large pages) letter one of his fellow aircrew wrote to me in 2004, and will post that once I've finished. 

I must say I love this site. I thought I was alone in my obsession!


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## Jemm (Jan 12, 2010)

Ok, that took a a while. Here is the first and only letter from L Hambly of 22 Sqd, which he wrote to me in 2004. I didn't hear from him again and am unsure if he is still alive....

Copy of Letter from L.C Hambly re RAAF 22 Squadron


6 May 2004

Dear J

I do not know where to begin this letter from the past. Bill ad I were 2 of 44 Wireless Air Gunners of No 22 Sqd (City of Sydney Sqd) all non-commission officers allocated to Boston bombers, which were in 1942-43 the fastest bombers in the world. Stationed at Richmond.

Bills’ plane was A 28-14 “P” . Pilot was L.A. Kenway F/O. My plane was A 28-3 “C”. My Pilot was Johnny Miles F/O.

I have much to tell you about our experiences even though I do not remember Bill, mainly because we were posted to Richmond (22 – 2nd WAG) from Bradfield Park. Nine of our number were from Parkes WAG school, 6 months living in each others pockets, and we knew each other intimately – whilst Bill was part of 13 who trained at Maryborough WAG School.

The 22 of us were part of a very large number of airmen booked to go to England on the “Queen Mary” having been allocated cabin numbers, we were lined up on the parade ground at Bradfield Park (Lindfield NSW) on Friday morning 21st August 1942.

A storm was forecast and the sailing was postponed until Monday 24th August – and to everyones’ delight we were granted weekend leave in Sydney.

On the morning of 24th August we again lined up in order of our cabin numbers when a voice came over the PA system: “would the following 22WAGS fall out – Fleming, Hambly, Hatherly, Hudson, Jacobson, Llewellyn, Lyons, Powell, Powers – “ those names were burned in my memory being my close friends from Parkes. I do not recall the next 13 named.

My experience prior to that would have been similar to Bill – having applied to join the RAAF early in 1941 having my 18th birthday 9th Jan 1941.

After 9 months on the reserve learning elementary knowledge for aircrew and the RAAF in general I was enlisted as aircrew trainee on 10 October 1941. The Japanese declared war on USA and their allies 5 December 1941 bombing Pearl harbour. Britain and their allies had been soundly defeated by Germany in Europe. Australia and New Zealand were sending all available servicemen to England and Nth Africa. 

My choice of flying was partially because I did not want to return to Australia as a wounded soldier and the navy was excluded because I suffered sea sickness even in small boats close to shore, even in Sydney harbour while fishing – all air crew trainees spent their first 8 weeks elementary RAAF knowledge and 99% all wanted to be pilots – naturally fighter pilots – Spitfires and Hurricanes.

Approx 60% were sent off to WAG schools (looks like) unhappily (morse code)
After 2 months 10% were sent to Navigation
After 3 months 30% were sent off to flying schools.
After completing the 9 months training we were all promoted to rank of Sgt and some Pilot Officers (very few).

The next step was 3 month course learning to fly as a crew. Operational Training Unit.
This brings us up to embarkation via “Queen Mary” to complete the operational training in England prior to operations over Germany.

Bill and I and 20 WAGS were sent to 22 Sqd and had to learn crew flying on the job with experienced 1st Gunners and very competent (luckily) pilots. 

My pilot Johnny Miles introduced himself as:
1.	an ex New Guinea Airlines pilot with 40,000 hours
2.	possibly the oldest pilot in the RAAF
3.	with intentions to be the oldest pilot at the end of the war
4.	the owner of the largest moustache in the squadron
5.	the proud Boston pilot to sink a Jap sub off the NSW coast

My 1st flight in A 28-3 “C” was 17 days later on 10 Sept 1942. Was five hours to Charters Towers a USA Base, where Bill and I experienced an Air Force where money was no problem. They gave us 4 motor vehicles – a sedan for the officers use, a Jeep and utility for the crews to visit the town and a truck for the WAGS to travel to the airstrip for night guard duty for our Bostons.

Bill’s logbook will tell you if he shared this experience especially the generous treatment compared to RAAF, eg: cartons of cigarettes were on our made up beds on our arrival and ice creams were available on return from our aircraft each afternoon.

Charters Towers was an eye-opener having once been a heavily populated gold mining town including the old buildings, shops and hotels complete with the swinging half doors (like in a western movie).

The waitress at the bare board floor café held her hand out for the money before placing our steaks on the table – the mugs of tea were in jam tins with a strip of tin soldered on for a handle and to complete the picture she had a couple of front teeth missing.

16 days later on the 26th September 1942 we all flew to Townsville the centre of Army, Air Force and Navy depots.

In the meantime our ground staff and the aircraft tools of trade, spare parts ahd arrived from Richmond.

Pilot Officer Harry Rowell, one of the pilots , a WA lad just 21 years old was in charge of the road train to Townsville and then the ground staff and their equipment left via SS Anhui for Port Moresby on approx 21 October 1942. You will learn more of Harry’s plane A 28 -8 “J” later.

My log book records a 5 day trip in A 28-3 “C” to Cairns as a fighter standby. I did not record the other 2 planes who accompanied us on our stay at Cairns Royal Hotel – our intelligence officers at Townsville believed a Japanese raid was expected at Cairns- Townsville area – it did not eventuate. Perhaps Bill was one of the crews.

I’ll send this part of the story today otherwise it will be june or July before I finish.

Yours faithfully,

One of the lucky ones

L Hambly.


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## Wildcat (Jan 12, 2010)

Very interesting Jemm. I see Lyon's name mentioned, he was Bill Newton's WAG on the mission he was shot down and murdered..


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks for posting this info Jemm. 

The Aviation Heritage Museum of WA have these two photos of A28-14 taken around February 1943. Not sure of the exact date. I remember seeing a close up pic of the nose somewhere, and I'll see if I can find it.

Cheers

Peter


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## Wildcat (Jan 13, 2010)

Sweet pics Pete!! Are those bombs falling in the last pic?


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 13, 2010)

yes 8) Apparently both pics taken over Hoskins Peninsula NG. I don't know exactly where that is. Getting back to Jemm's question. The F stands for exactly what you think it stands for!

Cheers

Peter


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## Wildcat (Jan 13, 2010)

Cape Hoskins is on the North coast of New Britain Pete.


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## stona (Jan 13, 2010)

Thanks for posting this stuff. It is impossible to over estimate the value of this sort of personal family material,no matter how tragic. It is literally priceless and I appreciate you letting us all see it.
Steve


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## A4K (Jan 15, 2010)

With Stona...interesting read Jemm, much appreciated you taking the time to type it out for us!


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## beaupower32 (Jan 15, 2010)

Very intresting reads, thanks for posting.


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## Jemm (Jan 16, 2010)

Holy guacamole (is that how you spell it?) Peter! What amazing shots. I didn't check for a couple of days and voila! 

Thanks for finding and posting them!


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## Jemm (Jan 16, 2010)

Pete , just reaslised after looking again that if those two shots were taken in Feb 43, it would have been before the 9th, when it went missing. Narrows the window somewhat....

I have photocopies from the AWM of "daily operations" which has who went out where and in what plane on any given day. it's a really bad photocopy but it says:

.....nothing of any use to us. Great. I photocopied the page from 8th to 15th feb. Didn't do the week before. However, there were "nil operations" on the 8th which narrows it down to 1st - 7th Feb, unless of course that was taken the actual day it went missing..... makes me feel slightly ill actually,. looking at those and knowing what may have been about to happen.....


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## A4K (Jan 16, 2010)

Kind of puts it all in perspective dosen't it? Not just 'Cool! a Boston!', but reminds you that there were people manning that thing, who had to take it to hell and hopefully back...


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## Jemm (Jan 16, 2010)

Yeah...maybe I should scan and upload the "we regret to inform you" telegram.....

The old bloke - Mr Hambly- whom I spoke to 5 -odd years ago, said they actually lost a few planes on take off. They had trouble figuring out what was going wrong until they discovered that wasps were making nests in a bit of wiring on (I think he said) the tail which was responsible for measuring speed.(?? Hope that's right, I am going from memory) The mud nests in the wiring resulted in inaccurate readings and as a result the pilots would fail to make successful take-offs. Some of them exploded on the airstrip as they were laden with bombs. Awful way to go.


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 16, 2010)

Jemm said:


> Pete , just reaslised after looking again that if those two shots were taken in Feb 43, it would have been before the 9th, when it went missing. Narrows the window somewhat....
> 
> I have photocopies from the AWM of "daily operations" which has who went out where and in what plane on any given day. it's a really bad photocopy but it says:
> 
> .....nothing of any use to us. Great. I photocopied the page from 8th to 15th feb. Didn't do the week before. However, there were "nil operations" on the 8th which narrows it down to 1st - 7th Feb, unless of course that was taken the actual day it went missing..... makes me feel slightly ill actually,. looking at those and knowing what may have been about to happen.....



Hi Jemm

The photo was definitely not taken on the 9th. The photo shows at least a six ship formation, and only five were sent out on that fateful day. There is also a discrepancy on location also. A sift though the Operational Record Book may uncover some possibilities for the exact date as you suggest. All the RAAF Unit History sheets for 22 Squadron are actually available on the web in digital form at the National Archives. You can look at them anytime. National Archives of Australia and do a record search for "RAAF Unit History sheets 22 Squadron". You can also search for further details of your Uncle's service history and his loss.

The latest likely date for the photo is actually 30 Jan, I think as all later attacks are less than six ships. Here the operations sheet.


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## Wildcat (Jan 16, 2010)

G'day pete and Jemm. My take on the photo's Pete posted are that the aircraft DU-P shown is not A28-14 but most likely a replacement aircraft given the "P" identification letter after the first one was lost. My reasons -
A28-14 was lost in Feb 43, note pictures and film clips of 22sqn Bostons participating in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March, almost a month after -14 was lost, none at that stage have the DU squadron codes as shown in Pete's photos.
Secondly, if Pete's pics were taken over Cape Hoskins which is on the North coast of New Britain, this would most likely be some time after July 43 when the squadron was either based on Goodenough Is or Kiriwina. Again this is many months after A28-14 was lost. Prior to the squadron's move to Goodenough Is, Their area of ops seemed to be focused in the Lae, Buna and Salamua areas. I doubt the Bostons could hit targets on the North coast of New Britain from their base at Wards in Port Moresby.
Just some thoughts..


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## Jemm (Jan 16, 2010)

Pete, wow, I didn't know those "daily operations" were available online. Thanks. When I still lived in Canberra I spent hours at the AWM Research centre staring at old records on microfish (fishe? fisch? whatever..). 

You all know so much more than me - I really appreciate all comments and pics. Cheers. 

Jemm (Off to the national archives website)


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 16, 2010)

Wildcat said:


> G'day pete and Jemm. My take on the photo's Pete posted are that the aircraft DU-P shown is not A28-14 but most likely a replacement aircraft given the "P" identification letter after the first one was lost. My reasons -
> A28-14 was lost in Feb 43, note pictures and film clips of 22sqn Bostons participating in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March, almost a month after -14 was lost, none at that stage have the DU squadron codes as shown in Pete's photos.
> Secondly, if Pete's pics were taken over Cape Hoskins which is on the North coast of New Britain, this would most likely be some time after July 43 when the squadron was either based on Goodenough Is or Kiriwina. Again this is many months after A28-14 was lost. Prior to the squadron's move to Goodenough Is, Their area of ops seemed to be focused in the Lae, Buna and Salamua areas. I doubt the Bostons could hit targets on the North coast of New Britain from their base at Wards in Port Moresby.
> Just some thoughts..



Andy you just maybe right about that. The location and Op Record don't add up. I'll do some more checking and relay that back to the museum.


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## Heinz (Jan 16, 2010)

Fantastic stuff Andy and Peter!


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## Jemm (Jan 17, 2010)

I was reading right through Feb and March 1943, so sad when you get to Newton's crash. Thanks for the link to the archives.


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## Wildcat (Jan 17, 2010)

Jemm have you got The Bill Newton biography by Mark Weate? Not a bad read IMO.


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## Jemm (Jan 17, 2010)

No, I haven't. I'll add to my wish-list. I'm ordering that "wings of destiny" one soon - we're smack in the middle of moving back to NSW at the moment...


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## Wildcat (Jan 18, 2010)

Good luck with the move Jemm, I'm sure you'll like the book when you get it.
Pete, I was having alook through some of my notes on 22sqn Ops, and have come up with a possible date for your pics. On 21-12-43, 7 Bostons carried out a strike on the airstrip at Cape Hoskins. This is when the squadron was based on Kiriwina, and as much as I can see, was the largest strike the squadron made against Cape Hoskins strip. The aircraft which took part were - 
A28-5 DU-F
A28-6 DU-G
A28-11 DU-M
A28-23 ?
A28-24 DU-P **
A28-28 DU-U
A28-30 DU-W
Note that some of these can be made out in your photos.
If you look at page 271 of the ORB, it states photos are to be taken of the attack and that the bombs were released close to the tree line in an attempt to hit the dispersal areas. Again this ties in with your pics.
I'll be interested to see what you come up with.


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## ozhawk40 (Jan 18, 2010)

Cheers Andy

I haven't looked too hard at this point, so you are a little ahead of me. You could bend a few more Banana's while you wait! 

"Frend Bilong Australia Tru" (Gary Byk) has this to say: -

"On the 21 December seven Bostons struck at Hoskin's Strip. They were escorted by Kittyhawks as top cover. This mission was very successful. During the attack four Vals were seen in the circuit area waiting to land, but they quickly withdrew to cloud cover when the Bostons approached. Some six and twelve hour time bombs were dropped. "

Also in the book is another shot of a28-24 showing the rudder. Interesting is the wear and damage repair which shows as a circular mark just to the left of the upper hinge. This repair is also present in the other photo, so I am reasonably sure that it is in fact 24 in the first two pics. The dates 24 was with the squadron also narrow down the possibility further that the date is 21/12/1943.

Still looking for 14!

Cheers

Peter


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## Sydhuey (Nov 18, 2010)

There is a history with missidentified photos with 22 Sqn Bostons the sqn operated 69 Bostons approx 48 of them on operations, the aircraft up till mid 1943 were identified by a single code letter after mid 1943 the DU Sqn code was added so as a rough guide any photo with the single code letter I call the Port Morseby era after the move to Goodenough island the a/c ran the 3 letter code system .
The attached photo is from AIRCRAFT MARKINGS OF THE RAAF 1939-1945 Pentland.
This photo has been used in many books and articles on Bostons and the RAAF over the years and the text is all wrong, the classic missconception is Bill Newton ditched in A28-3 DU-Y and much has been said about this a/c and models have been made of A28-3 DU-Y, Bill Newton ditched in A28-3 "C", DU-Y is A28-18,and the text because it presumes that A28-3 is DU-Y the photo was taken before the end of Mar 43 as A28-3 was lost, this photo was taken on 24 March 1944 as 8 Bostons form up over Kiriwina for a raid on tracks between Gogosi-Kiava and Bialla plantations, this photo was easy to identify as it was one of the few times 8 Bostons went on a raid together 3-6 was a much more common number of a/c on a raid.
the a/c in the photo are
A28-5 DU-F DB-7B
A28-7 DU-H DB-7B
A28-9 DU-K DB-7B
A28-10 DU-L DB-7B
A28-18 DU-Y DB-7B (returned to 22 Sqn Jan 44 after rebuild at 3AD after crash Rockhampton Sep 43 note DF antenna fitted during rebuild not common on the original DB-7B's)
A28-25 DU-N A-20C
A28-28 DU-U A-20C
A28-30 DU-W A-20C


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## ColGal (Oct 4, 2017)

Jemm, I have only just found this website. Finding it was prompted by me wanting to know more about the fate of my great-uncle and his fellow crew members on 9 February 1943 after visiting the Australian War Memorial in Canberra this week. My great-uncle was Francis "Colin" Gordon (whom I was named after - 'Col') who of course flew with your uncle Bill Hall in this aircraft and so has also been missing since 9 February 1943. For all my life (I'm 57) it has always been a family mystery and an unanswered question as to what happened to their aircraft, and them, so to find this website with your incredible research is astounding to me after all these years. But Jemm, there may even be more to this, but admittedly a very long bow is being drawn by me here ... 'Col' was actually my 'half' great uncle as his mother, Florence (nee Strickfuss), was firstly married to a man by the name of Hall, was then divorced from him and remarried Frank Gordon (Col's father) in 1918/19/20. Her ex-husband, Mr Hall, according to family folklore, moved to Ipswich where I know your uncle was from. Is it possible there could be a connection there between your uncle Bill and my (half) great-uncle Col, one they may not even have realised? If so, or not, they are together forever it seems ... some pictures attached - The Aust War memorial wall, Col's school tribute plaque, Col's Port Moresby memorial certificate. I can be contacted via my e-mail. Regards ...


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## ColGal (Oct 4, 2017)

Oh, I forgot to mention ... my great grandmother, Florence (mentioned above) had a daughter, Merle, my grandmother, to Mr Hall, so 'Col' was her half-brother, and Mr Hall is my Great Grandfather. If "Mr Hall" then bore your uncle, we could even be possibly distantly related??? Spooky really ....


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