Diary of Denis Patrick (alias Rupert Bert Patrick), 1941-1945 - Part 8

control - yes everything was as familiar
as it was the day I left. But when
I looked about for the things which
had meant so much during my
childhood & youth - my friends, my
personal interests, my hobbies etc. they
had gone, gone forever - Even Colin
had gone I learned. Poor Colin killed 
in a mid air collision at night.-
Indeed I was not happy to be
back in Australia but longed for
England which had become "home"
to me. However I spent six weeks
leave in and around Sydney - Four
weeks went slowly by. I discovered
that I was almost a stranger in 
my own city, so clung to my
few Air Force friends who were
much in the same boat. Met
Ron Rankin in town one day and
we decided to pack up & go to
Jervis Bay. This turned out to
be a good idea - we booked in
at a hotel without much
trouble and looked around to
see what talent offered. Females
outnumbered the males by about
ten to one. Rankin / handsome &
bemedaled was a stunning success
I had successes in a similar
way
We danced & swam fished & sang and
gradually I realised that life wasn't
as bad as it first appeared. There
I met the McDonald & Dockers
of when I made some permanent
friendships. Later returned to Sydney
and so to No 1 O.T.U Sale - We had
some rude shocks here too & we
surprised to find that our own
countrymen were jealous of our overseas
experience and some unpleasant
scenes arose in consequence - However
we connected onto Australian
Beauforts with the loss of only one
crew - which disappeared into the sea
one night and was never seen again.
The crew had spent years overseas
only to finish their service on a
foolish training flight.
The job for which they had [[enveighed?]]
us to leave England was washed
out. torpedo bombers were no longer
required in the Pacific consequently
we represented surplus air crew
and weren't wanted anyway.
At the completion of a ten week
course we were posted to no 32.
Squadron at Lowood Queensland.
among those posted to this unit
were S/L Clarke, Ethell Collins Braughtion
O'Connor Hollows & myself & their crews

these people had all served 455
squadron in England so we educated
each other in our new sorrow.
. 32 Squadron a General [[Beau?]] Bomber
Show was in a state dormant state
most of its members were operationally
buggered or suffering from a slight
twitch or [[?]] & required
training - we provided a fillip. Its
leadership was bad. Under the hand
of an incompetent colourless individual
J D Barton -
8/1/45
We trained our new crews at
Lowood and endeavoured to repair
the morale of the timid ones - We
flew many thousands of miles escorting
ships plying too and from the
North. After a time the surroundings
became more attuned to our taste
or should I say that we became
more attuned to it - My old
455 officers bought their wives,
settled sown and started producing
families, indeed a surprising
number arrived in record time after
our return
Robt Holmes took over the squadron
and with his personality
the place made effortless progress
towards being an efficient and
happy community.
Flight Lieutenant and S/Lts
Griffen (commonly known as Griff -
was the Operational Base Commander
He was a genial old cuss with
bags of money which he apparantly
made without much effort having
a natural eye for a bargain.
Griff told me that he had a
good opportunity of taking over
the general managment of
an arms business back by
Super Marine. He also said
that if it eventuated he would
ask me to take a position in
his concern
In my off duty periods I 
went to friends in town the
McDonalds in Wynnum Brisbane
I was always at home there
and turned up at any old time
and stayed as long as I wanted
never prosperous but ever
generous. I liked staying there
After settling in I made friends
around Brisbane and life became
much kinder as I re adjusted
myself to my "New Country"
In my travels I spent some
time at Bundaberg, Surfers

Paradise Towoomba and host
of lesser places. Queensland is a
hard comfortless state, wealthy
but without the amenities of
life essential to well ordered
life
One day when I had just
One day I took Colonel Pollard
C.O. of the Cabarla School of staff
training to Bathurst and then
I flew over Katoomba to Mascot.
We returned to Bathurst too
pick up the gallant Colonel
and decided to stay on for
a day.
Bathurst had particularly
poignant memories for it was
there that Colin and I worked
and finally joined the Air Force
We signed up almost side
by side, just as we had
done all our lives and would
do until. Little did we
realize what tremendous
experiences lay before us. I
was called up a little before
him but only a month later
did he walk in on me
At Bradfield all togged out
in Air Force blue. We plodded
over air mathematics together
and then I went to Narrandera
to learn to fly and he to 
Canada to learn wireless &
Air Gunnery. Even there I
met him in Winnipeg. I newly
commissioned and he just
finishing his course
That disaster should befall
either or both of us later was
not even considered. And yet
after a friendship which lasted
from early boyhood through
school, adolescence, the gamble
for higher wages or none, Canada
England North Africa Russia
and England again there to
end, a comrade whose loss
leaves a gap which can never
be filled by anyone this side
of heaven
When I visited the Army
Camp my thoughts returned those
days which can never be again
We took off early next morning
and soared over the sleepy town
The comparison - There I signed
my will to serve and here 
I was high over the city 
four years later a wish
beyond my comprehension four
years before

when I returned to Lowood at
midday I was informed that I had
been posted to the First Tactical
Air Force (RAAF). By three
oclock we were signed sealed and
delivered, airborne for Bradfield to
get our tropical hear - We had been
loaned a Beaufort for the purpose
as it would appear from the text
of the posting signal that we 
were required most urgently
Mother Dad & Iris met me at
Central and we drove home
together, I spent that night at
home said hurried farewells
and after one day set our for
Townsville for my invitation to
the South Pacific area. We
returned our Beaufort to Lowood
and went on by Douglas Transport
to Townsville
We stayed here for five
days at a main street Pub.
The landlady was an extra
good type and we really had
a wizzard time while it lasted
I met a nurse, Madeline Donnelley
and we spent some time together
at the Army Officers Club and
other places. 
Group Captain Gibson then
arrived on the scene and told
us to pick up a Beaufort and 
fly him to Noemfor. So on the
3/12/44 we climed up into the
morning mists and set course
for Merauke. The weather was
pretty grim most of the way
and it wasn't until we
hit Cape Yorke that we
began to see anything - From
here on we steamed through
fair weather accross the
straits which would have seemed
very romantic looking forward
in earlier years. And then 
to the South Coast of New
Guinea.
We had trouble getting
petrol at Merauke and
had to stay the night. New
Guinea is as it first appears
a great steaming lump
jungle and mountains. Flying
conditions here can be most 
treacherous - great cloud masses
build up with colossal turbulance,
sufficient to twist
an aircraft like a piece of
paper. We went to the
villiage in the evening. There
was a place unique in its

kind Malayans Javanese Dutchmen
& N.G. natives lived in separate
sections of the town, each faction
retained thats its national characteristics.
So that walking down
the street we would come
accross Dutch administration buildings
with fat palid Dutchmen supping
whisky sodas behind lattice
enclosures, Javanese Joss houses
with incense burning within,
native shacks, and a host of
other variations.
Early next morning we took
of for Noemfor, we crossed
New Guinea and plugged through
rain and low cloud in the
Geelvink Bay and after few
hours the island showed up
through the rain,. The coral
runways showed up clearly
in the rain and we landed
without any trouble.
Noemfor is a clean little
coral island of about 10 x 8 miles
except for the cleared areas
it is of course covered with
dense jungle - There is very
little natural food here and
the natives are generally a
small stingy type with coarse
features - They practically all
wear clothes which they have
scrounged from camps. Since
they have no idea of cleanliness
they wear their clothes until
they drop off. It is not
uncommon to see a nigger
plodding along the road with
three pairs of sox on inside
a pair of boots about four
sizes too large for him
10/2/45 We set ourselves up in a tent with
others of the First Tactical Air Force.
Or as it is more commonly known (The
Tactless Air Force). This being the headquarters
of the great set up it was
naturally a little more luxurious than
other units under its command
We held an imposing site on a 
hill overlooking the coral reefs &
the sea beyond. The mass made of
threaded reeds was cool and comfortable
Its comfort provided for the generous
bottoms of one Air Commander, few
Group Captains, large bundles of
Wing commanders, hosts of Squadron
leaders, & flight Lieutenants and one
Pilot Officer. None of whom flew but
we stuck permanently to their will
[[?]] office chairs. From there seats

of advantage they churned out realms ^reams
& realms^reams of [[?]] which they
claimed promoted four thousand new
orders for armour which when put
together were found to cancel each
other completely.
With this gallant claim became
division about us we felt that we
really must do a lot of work to make
up for the huge cost of their support so during
the first month we carried 30,000 lbs
of freight including our 100 bodies between
Noemfoor & Moratai, all with one Beaufort
For our maintenance we depended
on a local Repair & Servicing unit
which did us very poorly. Indeed their
work was so bad that we had one
or two hairy escapes from the Beaufort
After reducing my morale to almost
zero I complained to the S.A.D. & explained
that things left much to be
desired. Following this complaint
we were reorganized with our
own staff a equipment, so that
I now had there Beauforts and
over 100 m technical men to
keep my air craft in good times.
Since the inception of this new set
up we have flown thousands of
miles without incident. Since my
average monthly total at 14,400
nautical miles I can't complain
Flying in these latitudes is probably
the easiest and most delightful in the world.
Blue sky, clear visibility with isolated
storms or showers is the general rule.
Occasionally we have some dirty days
& when it is dirty it comes with
a vengeance, but providing one uses
a little common sense conditions are
not any more intrepid than could be
expected. I have heard grim tales
of aircraft going out in strength
to bash some target and after having
been seen trying to get through
a storm were never heard of again
Pilots often talk of the treachery
of the tropical flying weather. I fail
to see it possibly because I have
flown under the worst conditions in
the world. The North sea with
its gales and ice [[twist?]] might make
[[them hold?]] hold their breath. But
to the North Sea men this is just 
a piece of cake
As I write these few times I am
sitting in a Jeep beneath cool palm
trees, and I can see & hear the little
waves crashing against the sand. The
sand where miriads of little shelled
crabs and strange bait fish crawl
and scapes about dragging their funny

little houses with them. To seaward
the waves break cover the multi coloured
coral reefs about which natives are
paddling their canoes & diving for fish
Beyond the reefs several ships ride
at anchor and busy little landing
craft are chugging back and forth
loading them.
The war has moved and Noemfoor
is already relegated to the 'Backward 
Areas' so for weeks now units & guns
& aircraft have been returning out
to Moratai, [[?]] & Mindoro
19th March 45
Of all the islands that one
can be baled upon in the Pacific I 
think Noemfoor is probably the most
pleasant. The all deciding factor about
an island is (a) the climate (b) the
type of surface (c) the swimming facilities
Neomfoor although lonely & monotonous is
blessed with a comparatively good share
of each.
Time marches on & now our command
services are no longer required so far
from the fighting line so we are
moving on. Tomorrow we pack our
Beaufort & kiss Noemfoor goodbye - this
time as ever we don't know where
we are going but Moratai is
our first stop.
I have been appointed to the temporary
command of No 11 Communication
Flight. A unit which I suspect has
not yet formed and that I will do
all the dirty work laying the foundations
only to find that another officer
senior to me will reap the seed which
we will sow - however the air force
is like that and after four years
I have learned to not be excited
or disappointed over which way the
dice may fall but to plod philosophically
along & take the ups & down all in
the normal course of duty.
After three & a half months solid
flying between Noemfoor & Moratai
I have the satisfaction of knowing
that on not one occasion have I
missed a schedule flight - neither
weather sickness or unavailability have
stopped us - One gets no lollies for
these little efforts but when the war
has been one won and the men
I am following the men with decorations
in the big march down Martin place
no one will be able to say that
we didn't do our duty.-

8^th April 45
My temporary command was
more temporary than I anticipated
and shortly after my arrival at
eleven Com. Unit my successor
was posted & he took a load of
cases & a thank less task from
my shoulders.
With a little luck my new
job should be a little more
interesting than the old one
As a communication unit
our duties are to provide
aerial transportation to staff
officers of the First Aust Army
Corps for this task we have been
allotted three venturas & one
liberator (the liberator will I
assume be at the disposal 
of General Blainey - Two other
Venturas & two Beauforts for
the use of staff stooges of the
First Tactical Air Force
With a unit which at my
arrival was nominal only we
have the unwelcome job of
building a unit in an advanced
field I estimate that this
unit will not operate at its
maximum efficiency or capacity
for at least five or six months
However in time air force
style we will muddle on.
My Beaufort 639 is growing
old. I took her over when she was

a baby and because we have
treated the old girl kindly she
in return has never let us down
But in Aeroplanes as in human
beings her arteries are getting thin
and the diseases of age are creeping
into her flesh
My present site is a pleasant 
one situated on a hill overlooking
the sea one can look out over

the palm trees and sea & hear the
waves rolling over the coral
reefs
At present we live in anticipation
of an operation in which
both the 1st Aust Army & our
1st Tac-Air-Force are will operate.
Several fields are open to speculation
as to where they will stretch
Number One is Borneo and I 
can't say I relish the idea of
living in a land inhabited
by urangatangs boa- constrictors
wild men & Japs - the Japs
being the least dangerous.
Just how well a completely
Australian division force
will function remains to

be seen. Hithertofore Australian
forces have depended on the
Americans for food & much
equipment. This is something
entirely new and it is hoped
that the Gun-men won't make
a mess of it. Australian
forces under its command
of Tubby Blainey have
lost face steadily during the
past two years. Largely due
to political interference, a
lack of sensible cooperation
with the Americans & a
doddering old tea-party artist
at the head.
Of one thing I am almost sure
and that is our ultimate objective
which is bound to be Singapore
And perhaps aa time through
Malaya to an eventual
link with Mountbattens small
west Asia Command - If so
I will get to China or bust.
On the 20 April two Venturas turned
up at Moratai - following their
arrival I was despatched to
Hollandia - Lae Solomons Atherton
& to return. I viewed the long
trip with a certain feeling of 
intrepidation having never
flown a Ventura before. However
with a book of instructions on
how to operate a Vent we set
course at Dawn. Each hour of
that trip was filled with 
interest as we unearthed different 
knobs & instruments - inspite of our
lack of knowledge the engines
purred steadily and after eight
hours flying we landed at Lae.
Lae is and an old base from
which many a bloody battle
was fought - On the journey down
I saw the Ramu valley / famous
for its swamps and for the
men who died to recapture
those worthless snake infested
river swamps fringed by
giant mountains
We spent two nights & a
day at Lae: On the second night
we went to the Officers club
and sampled the fringes of civilization

The Club is a huge place with
a large dance floor & the walls
are decorated with tropical scenes
palms moonlight nights love &
lamour. A five piece Orchestra
plays the latest tunes while
huge black natives clothed in
a lap lap carry wines & food
to the wait thirsty couples. We
sampled the wines ate a hearty
meal of Turkey & left for an early
bed.
Next morning we were on
our way for the Solomons where
the Fifth Division are now fighting
The Solomons had nothing particularly
interesting to offer except
jungle & more niggers. We left
early next morning and five hours
later landed at Cairns - here we
deposited a large cargoe of army
people. From here we hopped over
the mountains to Atherton - Fate
awaited us there & while we
slept between snow white sheets
at Atherton Officers Club, an
American drove a truck into my
poor faithful Ventura. As a
result we languished in luxury
at Atherton for five days & lived
on the fat of the land
while the aircraft was repaired
Again at [[?]] where my
aircraft was tucked safely in a
hanger a fired broke out & she
was badly damaged. Meanwhile
I spent my time at James place
20 / June / 45
Crown Hotel Camden N.S.W.
Leave from Morotai came as an
unexpected surprise but without
difficulty we arose to the occasion
& on 23rd day of May set forth in
a transport plane, homeward bound
We made the trip in two days & 
as dusk fell on the second the
welcome sight of Sydney lay beneath
us
Probably of all the leave's that
I have the spent in Sydney, this has
been the most pleasant. Although
rain fell in unending torrents
for the first week - the ill wind
blew us well & Eric Rutherford
& I played golf wined & dined
motored & wooed with much
success.
Camden became a centre of
more than usual interest when
I met a person of more than average
grading one versed in many of the