Sergeant Angus Milne,
407091, 51 Squ RAF
Born 21/6/1913, Died 19th
August, 1941 aged 28.
Angus was the son of Arthur
and Eva Milne, Box 45, Wirrabara in South Australia.
Grave Reference: No 5 - D -
6. Australian War Memorial panel No 127.
Angus enlisted for active
duty as Aircrew v (0) on May 27th, 1940 at the Adelaide Recruiting Centre No 5.
He was a month short of his 27th birthday at the time and listed his occupation
as “farming”. He was single and signed his enlistment form in a stylish hand
using a fountain pen. His enlistment was for the duration of the war plus
twelve months.
Angus was educated at Unley
High School, Kyre Avenue, Kingswood, Sth Australia from 1926 to 1929. In 1928
he completed his Intermediate Certificate supervised by the University of
Adelaide in English, Maths 1, Maths 11, French, Book Keeping, Short Hand,
Arithmetic and Geography. The following year his Leaving included English,
French, Geography, Book Keeping and Economics. He was obviously an intelligent
man.
Angus had had some flying
experience with the Spencer Gulf Aero Club at Port Perie where he had logged 5
hours and 35 minutes under dual control. He did not, however, hold a pilot’s
licence. He had applied for a position in the Civil Air Rescue on September
27th, 1939. He was physically examined for Civil Flying at this time.
He lists his sporting
interests as tennis, cricket, golf and swimming.
He is described as 5 ft 9
inches (173cm) tall, weighing 159lbs (72kg or 11 stone 5lbs). His chest
measurement was 36 inches (90cm) and he had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and
medium brown hair. On the form filled in by hand he was recorded as missing 2
joints on the middle finger of his left hand and had scars on his left buttock
and his right chest although the typed copy of this form which he later signed
omits these details. He was a member of the Church of England.
Angus took the oath to serve
his King on April 16th, 1940.
Two people certified that
Angus was know to them from birth and attested to his “moral courage" and
suitability for service in the Royal Australian Air Force. These were one A. P. Blesing of 16 Stuart Road, Prospect and Wes Robinson of 48 Hughes Street, North
Abuley.
The medical officer declared
him free of a frightening list of diseases and disfigurements and he was
assigned to No 1 Air Observers’ School, Cootamundra, NSW.
From there he was assigned
to 1 Bombing and Air Gunner School at Evans Head on October 21st, and then to
No 1 Air Navigation School at Parks on December 19th. On January 17th, 1941 he
transferred to HED and on February 5th to 1ED. On May 15th he set out for the
United Kingdom arriving on May 23rd joining the 19 OTU. He joined the RAF 51st
squadron on August 12th and was listed as missing a week later.
DATE
|
POSTING
|
27.5.1940
|
Enlisted at No 5
Recruiting station in Adelaide.
|
27.5.1940
|
No 1 Air Observers’ School,
Cootamundra, NSW.
|
21.10.40
|
No 1 Bombing and Air
Gunner School at Evans Head
|
19.12.40
|
No 1 Air Navigation School
at Parkes
|
17.1.41
|
No 4 Emb D Adelaide
|
5.2.41
|
No 1 E D Ascot Vale
|
23.2.41
|
Travelled from Australia
to U.K.
|
14.5.41
|
Disembarked No 3 PRC
Uxbridge
|
23.5.41
|
19 OTU Vunloso
|
12.8.41
|
51 Squadron
|
19.8.41
|
Reported Missing in active
operations
|
Angus was in hospital from
July 4th to 10th in 1940. This was during the time when he was training at the
Air Observer School at Cootamundra. He was in England for three months and a
member of the 51st squadron for a week before being lost on active duty.
Entries in his record show
that his conduct was always “very good”.
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