Salute Their Service
Biographies of the men and women of the Air Force family — pilots and ground crew, nurses and navigators — written to keep their service on the record.
WAAAF technicians at Mascot, 1944 · State Library of New South Wales · public domain
Each biography carries a service record — rank, unit, dates, theatres and honours — alongside the story. Where a life has ended, we say so, and we do not forget.
26 biographies · newest first
Warrant Officer Len Waters
Kittyhawk pilot · Australia’s first Aboriginal fighter pilot
Wing Commander Peter Isaacson AM DFC AFC DFM
Lancaster pilot and publisher
Air Commodore Sir Hughie Idwal Edwards VC KCMG CB DSO OBE DFC
Blenheim raid leader · Governor of Western Australia
Air Marshal Sir Valston (Val) Eldridge Hancock KBE CB DFC
Chief of the Air Staff, 1961–1965
Air Vice-Marshal Francis Hubert (Frank) McNamara VC CB CBE
Martinsyde pilot · No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Flight Lieutenant William (Bill) Ellis Newton VC
Boston bomber pilot · No. 22 Squadron RAAF
Pilot Officer Rawdon Hume (Ron) Middleton VC
Stirling bomber captain · No. 149 Squadron RAF
John Wilson
Warrant Officer · 28 years’ service · Bundaberg Branch founder
Flying Officer Frederick Michael Spafford DFC DFM
Bomb aimer and Dambuster · 617 Squadron RAF
Reginald Jeffrey “Jeff” Barnes
Reportedly South Australia’s first Aboriginal airman
Flight Lieutenant Robert “Bob” Claude Hay DFC & Bar
Air observer and Dambuster · 617 Squadron RAF
Warrant Officer Norm Ginn
Wireless operator / air gunner · 460 Squadron
Warrant Officer Doug Hoile
Spitfire pilot · South-West Pacific
John Colin Ayliffe DFC
Pilot · 455 Squadron RAAF
Lyall Robert Klaffer AFC OAM
Mustang pilot in Korea · 77 Squadron
Flight Lieutenant Robert “Nobby” Trevor Clark DFC
Maritime pilot · Second World War
Salute someone
Know someone whose service should be recorded here?
A relative, a Branch member, a name on a memorial. Send us what you know — a service number and a photograph are enough to start — and the Association’s heritage volunteers will research and write the biography with you.
Keep their stories alive
Know a story that belongs here — a relative, a squadron, an aircraft? Tell us, and help the Association record and share the service of the Air Force family.