CWGC added the following WW2 civilians to the Civilian War Dead Roll today. ELFORD, Richard Edwyn FAIRBAIRN, James Valentine GULLETT, Sir Henry Somer STREET, Geoffrey Austin All died 13.08.40 as passengers in a RAAF aircraft which crashed Reporting Authority: Australia NOT FORGOTTEN The above were In From the Cold Project cases. (Volunteer: Chris Harley
Cheers Chris - I only noticed them on there yesterday as I was trying to work out how many Australian civilians were listed by CWGC. For some reason I just assumed that Street would be listed as military as most references show him as Brigadier Street - by the time of the accident he was in a civilian (political) role so therefore civilian. Some more details on their loss: 2SQN RAAF VIP Flight - Lockheed Hudson A16-97 2 miles east of Canberra Aerodrome, ACT The passengers concerned were Brigadier G.A. Street (Minister for the Army), General Sir Brudenell White (Chief of the General Staff), Lieutenant Colonel F. Thornthwaite (Army Liaison Officer), Mr J.V. Fairbairn (Minister for Air), Sir Henry Gullett (Vice President Executive Council), Mr R.E. Elford (Secretary to Air Minister). Four RAAF crew members were killed in the crash: Flight Lieutenant Robert Edward Hitchcock 115 (Aircraft Captain) / Pilot Officer Richard Frederick Wiesener 607 (Second Pilot) / Corporal John Frederick Palmer 2130 / Aircraftman Charles Joseph Crosdale 6673 There is a range of AWM photos: Melbourne, Vic. 1940-08-15. State funeral passing along St Kilda Road. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/002599/
I won't cover the incident itself too much, or it's political aftermath - I'll leave that to the quite well done Wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Canberra_air_disaster As outlined on the Wiki page the RAAF base in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory was named Fairbairn in honour of Mr J.V. Fairbairn (Minister for Air) after the accident. RAAF Fairbairn was my first posting after enlistment and I visited the crash site a few times, it is now in the middle of a Pine tree plantation and the logging trails were popular for amateur rally drivers and personnel with a budding interest in military history.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/001110/ Portrait of General Sir Cyril Brudenell Bingham White KCB KCMG KCVO DSO. General White served with distinction during the First World War in Egypt, Gallipoli and France and was regarded as a most effective staff officer in his various senior appointments. He subsequently served as Chief of the General Staff over the period 1920-1923 before resigning to become Commissioner of the Australian Public Service. On the death of the current Chief of General Staff, General Squires, on the 3 March 1940, White was recalled to take over this appointment. After only a few months, he was tragically killed in an aircraft accident near Canberra on 13 August 1940 after a flight from Melbourne. Also killed in the accident were Sir Henry Gullett, Brigadier Street, Minister for Army, and Mr J V Fairbairn, Minister for Air.
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/000661/ 1940-02. MR J. V. FAIRBAIRN, MINISTER FOR AIR, HAS HIS EYES TESTED BY FLIGHT LIEUTENANT MELVILLE, MEDICAL OFFICER RAAF RECRUITING. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/000662/ 1940-02. MR. J. V. FAIRBAIRN, MINISTER FOR AIR, CHATS WITH RAAF RECRUITS AT A RECRUITING DEPOT. (NEGATIVE BY E.L.C.). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/000872/ 1940-02-27. LAVERTON - GROUP CAPTAIN F.W.F. LUKIS, MR. J.V. FAIRBAIRN, AIR COMMODORE WRIGLEY. GROUPS. (NEGATIVE BY HARRISON).
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/A02615/ The Australian Plenipotentiaries, the Right Honourable William Morris (Billy) Hughes and Sir Joseph Cook and staff at the Peace Conference in Paris 1919. Identified left to right; Lieutenant Frederick William Eggleston (assistant to Sir Robert Garran), Lieutenant Commander John Greig Latham (Naval Staff Officer), Miss Eleanor Maida Carter (typist), the Right Honourable Sir Joseph Cook (Minister for the Navy, Australia), Mr Roy Mungovan (private secretary to Sir Joseph Cook), 'Billy' Hughes (Prime Minister of Australia), Captain Henry Somer Gullett (press liaison officer and later first Director of the Australian War Museum), Mr W. E. Corrigan (messenger), Sir Robert Randolf Garran (Solicitor General Australia), Miss Wood (typist) and Lieutenant Percival Edgar Deane (private secretary to Mr Hughes). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/042822/ MELBOURNE, 1939-09-27. INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE AUSTRALIAN WAR CABINET. L TO R. THE MINISTER FOR COMMERCE, SENATOR THE HON. GEORGE MCLEAY; THE MINISTER FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND FOR INFORMATION, THE HON. SIR HENRY GULLETT, K.C.M.G.; THE MINISTER FOR SUPPLY AND DEVELOPMENT, THE RT. HON. R.G. CASEY, D.S.O., M.C., THE PRIME MINISTER AND TREASURER, THE RT. HON. R.G. MENZIES, K.C.; THE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, THE HON. G.A. STREET, M.C., AND THE SECRETARY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE AND TO THE WAR CABINET, MR F.G. SHEDDEN. (THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL, THE RT. HON. W.M. HUGHES, K.C. WAS ABSENT).
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/001921/ 1940-06-09. BRIG. G.A. STREET. M.C. (NEGATIVE BY CRANSTONE). https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/002061/ 1940-06-28. STREET & MENZIES TRY ON GAS MASKS. (NEGATIVE BY E. CRANSTONE) https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/002063/ 1940-06-28. STREET & MENZIES EXAMINE ANTI AIRCRAFT LEWIS MK 1 MACHINE GUN.
Hello Dave, Thanks for the additional information on these chaps. As for the number of Australian civilians listed by CWGC that is a difficult one as the CWGC Civilian ROH does not make a differentiation on nationality; it just accounts for them as Imperial citizens. However from my own research I should be able to tell you who is Australian from the recent civilian acceptances & plus a number of others who have cropped up here & there. Cheers Chris
Thanks Chris - I will go through the names I think should be on CWGC to see if any are missing. I will get back to you when I get it sorted. cheers Dave