NO. 2 OPERATIONAL TRAINING UNIT (2 OTU) MILDURA, VIC
DURING WW2

 

Royal Australian Air Force Association Mildura Branch has carried out preservation and restoration of the building known as the RAAF No. 2 Operational Training Unit (2OTU) Headquarters at Mildura Airport. It now houses a Museum known as RAAF No. 2 OTU Museum.

More than 1,200 students were successfully trained from 1942 until 1946 at 2 OTU Mildura. Almost every fighter pilot who served in the South West Pacific theatre was either trained at Mildura or did a ‘refresher’ course there.

Approximately 52 young RAAF pilots lost their lives while training at Mildura. They are mostly buried in the Mildura Lawn Cemetery at Nichols Point.

 

 52 PERSONNEL FROM 2 OTU KILLED IN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENTS
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2
(in date order)

Moore, George Henry Leading Aircraftman 15508 23/06/1942 Lake Victoria, Vic ?
Ruge, Arthur Robert Sergeant 405424 23/06/1942 Lake Victoria, NSW ?

Havard, Stanley Charles 

 Sergeant 403868 28/09/1942 New South Wales Crash of P-40 Kittyhawk at Coomealla,VIC
Wellington, Lloyd John Flight Sergeant 407472 14/10/1942 Lake Victoria, NSW Crash of a Wirraway
Curtis, Victor Farley Flying Officer 400039 06/01/1943 Mildura Crash of a Wirraway
Simpkins, William Graham Sergeant 420502 06/01/1943 Mildura Crash of a Wirraway
Tanser, Herbert Thomas Sergeant 411549 19/01/1943 Lake Victoria, NSW Crash of an aircraft into Lake Victoria
Taaffe, Geoffrey Edgar Pilot Officer 421099 21/01/1943 Mildura Collision of 2 Wirraways over Koorlong, Vic
Bates, Alan Frederick Sergeant 413510 21/01/1943 Mildura Collision of 2 Wirraways over Koorlong, Vic
Ryan, John Michael David Sergeant 414839 21/01/1943 Mildura Collision of 2 Wirraways over Koorlong, Vic
Raffen, George Frederick Sergeant 416364 24/01/1943 Mildura Crash of a Kittyhawk
Ellis, Frank Howard  Sergeant 417167 13/04/1943 Yarrara, Vic Crash of a Kittyhawk at Yarrara, VIC
Overmyer, R.H.

(AWM site says he was 4 OTU. Crash report says 2 OTU)

 Sgt. 32700 13/04/1943 Mildura Collision of 2 Kittyhawks over NSW near Mildura

Blackie, Raymond Jack 

 Sergeant 403309 27/04/1943 Williamtown, NSW Collision of 2 Spitfires at Williamtown, NSW
Arnott, Alan Ross Airly Pilot Officer 426819 16/07/1943 Mildura Crash of a Kittyhawk 13 miles south west of Mildura
Crowe, Joseph George Pilot Officer 417811 26/07/1943 Gol Gol, NSW Crash of a Kittyhawk at Gol Gol Gunnery Range
Walker, Maxwell Robert Sergeant 417682 05/08/1943 Mildura Crash of a Kittyhawk 4 miles south west of Mildura on 4 Aug 43
Stokes, David John Sergeant 437015 16/08/1943 Lake Victoria, NSW Crash of a Spitfire near Lake Victoria
Power, Thomas Phillip Flying Officer 408700 17/08/1943 Mildura Crash of Wirraway A20-545 at Gol Gol Gunnery Range, NSW
Dicken, Michael Perry Stowell Pilot Officer 419115 17/08/1943 Mildura Crash of Wirraway A20-545 at Gol Gol Gunnery Range, NSW
Murphy, Neville Douglas Pilot Officer 429986 23/09/1943 Gol Gol Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-60
Piggott, Frank Donald Flight Sergeant 13480 06/10/1943 Mildura Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-158 (#41-24861), crashed during aerobatic exercise.
Crow, Thomas James Russell Flying Officer 409818 26/11/1943 Mildura Crash of a Kittyhawk 20 miles west of Mildura
King, William John Sergeant 419092 03/12/1943 Mildura ?
Wolkenhaar, Kenneth George Flight Sergeant 413063 21/12/1943 Lake Victoria, NSW Possibly crash of a Spitfire A58-241, into bank of Lake Victoria, approx 60 miles from Mildura??
Sayce, Gerald Norman Flight Sergeant 410263 04/01/1944 Mildura Crash of a Kittyhawk 12 miles north west of Mildura
Ross, Arthur Ronald Sergeant 433226 26/03/1944 Mildura Spitfire A58-123 (EE713), involved in a mid air collision with P-40E Kittyhawk A29-12
Spencer, Reginald Albert Flying Officer 416035 01/05/1944 Mildura ?
Lynch, Joseph Richard Flight Lieutenant 2328 01/05/1944 Mildura ?
Knapman, Alfred Sydney Flying Officer 400806 01/06/1944 Mildura Mid air collision of 2 Boomerangs (A46-14 and A46-44).
Byrne, Roger Flying Officer 419291 01/06/1944 Mildura Mid air collision of 2 Boomerangs (A46-14 and A46-44).
Rees, Frank Foster Sergeant 433859 19/06/1944 Mildura ?
Powell, Norman William Flying Officer 432973 07/09/1944 Mildura ?
Mac Gowan, Thorburn Harcourt Pilot Officer 435754 05/10/1944 Mildura Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-153 (#41-24789)
Gadsden, John Geoffrey Norman Pilot Officer 418828 25/10/1944 Wentworth, NSW ?
O'Connell, Edward John  Flight Sergeant 423858 25/10/1944 Wentworth, NSW ?
Mackenzie, Lionel Grant Sergeant 442292 07/11/1944 Mildura Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-195 (#42-10223)
O'Keeffe, Bernard Maurice Sergeant 210054 12/11/1944 Wentworth, NSW ?

Hepburn, Kenneth Edward

 		Flight Sergeant 430170 14/12/1944 Wentworth, NSW Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-176
Wood, Thomas Watson Flying Officer 421650 08/02/1945 Mildura Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-85
(#41-25122)
Young, Ronald Stewart Sergeant 443716 13/02/1945 Mildura ?
Vaughan, Mervyn Thomas Warrant Officer 30201 14/02/1945 Mildura ?
Milne, Robert Ambrose Flight Lieutenant 406362 16/02/1945 Mildura Collision of 2 Kittyhawks about 2 miles south west of Wentworth Bombing Range
Hammond, Norman Robert Warrant Officer 419804 16/02/1945 Mildura Collision of 2 Kittyhawks about 2 miles south west of Wentworth Bombing Range
Saunders, Alan Joseph Worboys Sergeant 443620 30/03/1945 Wentworth, NSW ?
Turner, Warrick James Flight Lieutenant 403773 01/04/1945 Yelta Barge Strafing Range, VIC Crash of Kittyhawk A29-423 near the Yelta Barge Strafing Range, VIC
Kaye, Laurence Peter  Flight Sergeant 62418 25/05/1945 Mildura ?
Chester, Kenneth George Flying Officer 10167 05/06/1945 Mildura Crash of a Mustang
Frizell, Herbert Lindsay Flight Sergeant 439755 25/07/1945 Mildura Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-118 (#41-35932)
Russell, Malcolm John Flight Sergeant 442507 07/08/1945 Mildura Crash of Kittyhawk A29-130
Higgins, John Campbell Warrant Officer 419178 27/08/1945 Wentworth, NSW Possibly crash of Kittyhawk A29-190
Milledge, Ronald William Flight Sergeant 438258 13/09/1945 Mildura ?

 

2 OTU PERSONNEL WHO WERE KILLED IN A GROUND ACCIDENT DURING WW2
(in date order)

Bawden, Donald Robert Leading Aircraftman 47060 31/01/1943 Mildura
Bowd, Kevin Anthony James    58366 14/10/1945 Mildura

 

2 OTU PERSONNEL WHO DIED DUE TO ILLNESS DURING WW2
(in date order)

Moss, Albert Edward Aircraftman Class 1 68114 15/06/1943 Mildura
Pratley, Frederick William Leading Aircraftman 73324 27/02/1944 Melbourne
Linford, Albert John Aircraftman Class 2 445642 04/01/1945 Melbourne
Hodges, Lyle William Aircraftman Class 1 163160 28/03/1945 Sydney

 

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This page first produced 27 January 2002

This page last updated 13 January 2020