Returned by Air - 1945

 

 

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The war with Japan came to an end on 15/8/1945, but the official surrender was not signed in Singapore until 12/9/1945. The ex-Prisoners were located in many areas throughout Asia. Those in need of urgent medical care were flown back to Australia. The men were transported in several different types of aircraft, including DC3, Catalina and converted Liberator bombers.

Various planes returned to Australia from Japan, Manila, Labuan, Morotai and Singapore. Members of the 2/30 Battalion were known to be on the following flights:

Aircraft Liberator ? Catalina ? ? ? ? ? ? Catalina ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Aircraft
Departed Okinawa
(crashed in Formosa)
10/9/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Departed Okinawa
(crashed in Formosa)
Departed Singapore - 13/9/1945 14/9/1945 - ?/9/1945 21/9/1945 per Manunda
13/9/1945
- 22/9/1945 22/9/1945 25/9/1945 - - per Manunda
13/9/1945
28/9/1945 - 3/10/1945 - 1/10/1945 per Manunda
13/9/1945
6/10/1945 per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
- per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
- 8/10/1945 - - - 13/10/1945 per Manunda
13/9/1945
14/10/1945 - per Manunda
13/9/1945
- - per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
- per Manunda
13/9/1945
13/10/1945 per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
per Manunda
13/9/1945
- Departed Singapore
Departed Manila - - - 15/9/1945 - - - 21/9/1945 - - - 28/9/1945 28/9/1945 - - 29/9/1945 - 1/10/1945 - - - - - 1/10/1945 - - - 8/10/1945 - 9/10/1945 27/9/1945 13/10/1945 - - - 15/10/1945 - 9/10/1945 ?/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - 12/10/1945 Departed Manila
Departed Labuan - per Wanganella
15/9/1945
per Wanganella
15/9/1945
- - - 22/9/1945 - 23/9/1945 23/9/1945 - - - 26/9/1945 - - - - 2/10/1945 5/10/1945 - 5/10/1945 6/10/1945 - 5/10/1945 6/10/1945 1/10/1945 - - - - - - 3/10/1945 - - 5/10/1945 16/10/1945 - 17/10/1945 17/10/1945 19/10/1945 16/10/1945 16/10/1945 19/10/1945 19/10/1945 - 27/10/1945 27/10/1945 28/10/1945 - Departed Labuan
Departed Morotai - 3/10/1945 3/10/1945 - - - - - - - - 29/9/1945 - - 29/9/1945 - - 5/10/1945 - 7/10/1945 - - - 9/10/1945 - - 11/10/1945 - - - 11/10/1945 - - 11/10/1945 - - - - - - 22/10/1945 - 13/10/1945 - 23/10/1945 19/10/1945 27/10/1945 27/10/1945 31/10/1945 2/11/1945 - Departed Moratai
Arrived Darwin - - - - - - - - - 23/9/1945 - 29/9/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10/10/1945 - - - - - - - 11/10/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5/11/1945 - Arrived Darwin
Departed Cairns - - - - - - - - - ?/9/1945 - - - 30/9/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ?/11/1945 - Departed Cairns
Arrived Brisbane - 11/10/1945 11/10/1945 - 24/9/1945 24/9/1945 24/9/1945 - - - - - - - - - - 7/10/1945 - 8/10/1945 - - - 11/10/1945 - - - - - - 14/10/1945 - - - - - - - 20/10/1945 - 23/10/1945 - - 24/10/1945 24/10/1945 26/10/1945 28/10/1945 29/10/1945 1/11/1945 - 23/11/1945 Arrived Brisbane
Arrived Sydney - 13/10/1945 13/10/1945 17/9/1945 - - 26/9/1945 24/9/1945 26/9/1945 27/9/1945 26/9/1945 - 2/10/1945 1/10/1945 2/10/1945 2/10/1945 6/10/1945 - 7/10/1945 - - 10/10/1945 10/10/1945 - 11/10/1945 - 12/10/1945 12/10/1945 13/10/1945 13/10/1945 - 17/10/1945 17/10/1945 18/10/1945 18/10/1945 18/10/1945 20/10/1945 20/10/1945 - 22/10/1945 - 23/10/1945 24/10/1945 - - - 2/11/1945
(by train)
- - 7/11/1945 - Arrived Sydney
Arrived Melbourne - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8/10/1945 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Arrived Melbourne

NX35741 L/Sgt Richard Thomas NOBLE was killed on 10/9/1945 when the plane he was returning in crashed in Formosa. See Sai Wan War Cemetery for details.

(Source: NAA: B883 Service Records; 2/30 Battalion Archives - NX27854 Diary)

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Last updated 29/08/2022