BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
On 17 October, more than 120 attendees attended the Dedication of, and the Inaugural Commemorative Service at, the new Air Force Memorial at the South Australian Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide.
The new Air Force Memorial is a major collaborative initiative between the Air Force Association (South Australia), the South Australian Aviation Museum and RAAF Edinburgh to establish an Air Force Memorial that can connect better with contemporary veterans.
The idea for the memorial stemmed from a visit to the museum last year by AIRCDRE Adrian Maso, former Commander Air Warfare Centre and Senior Air Force Representative (South Australia), and GPCAPT Greg Weller, when they met with Nigel Daw, President of SAAM. During the visit, they agreed that the museum would be an ideal place for a new Air Force Memorial. It should be a memorial that would connect better with contemporary veterans. It should also acknowledge the service of aviators who made the ultimate sacrifice in peacetime, not in war, performing their duties and serving the nation.
Accordingly, the new Air Force Memorial at SAAM is dedicated to, and honours those, Defence personnel who have lost their lives in Air Force military aviation accidents in South Australia or from RAAF Base Edinburgh based Air Force units.
The new Air Force Memorial features a large rock with a plaque listing both ground and aircrew aviators lost in various accidents. Behind the rock stands a Nomad propeller donated by No 601 Squadron, Australian Air Force Cadets. The propeller holds special significance, as the memorial lists FLTLT Glen Donovan who lost his life in the crash of ARDU Nomad A18-401 in March 1990.
On the wall of the main hangar behind the propeller is a 12m wide by 3m high sunset mural, displaying 1.5-meter silhouettes of a Mustang, Meteor, Iroquois, and Nomad. The silhouettes were created from imagery of the actual aircraft that crashed and are listed on the memorial plaque. The Mustang and Meteor represent accidents from the 1950s at Mallala, Woomera, and Edinburgh, while the Nomad and Iroquois commemorate more recent losses: the ARDU Nomad in 1990 and 9SQN Iroquois near Port Augusta in 1978. The aircraft are positioned to appear as if they are flying up and out from the Y shape of the propeller at sunset. This evokes the tradition of playing the Last Post in the field or in barracks at the end of the day, a moment to remember the fallen.
The memorial lists 13 accidents from the 1950’s up to the 1990’s with the names of 23 aviators who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their nation in peacetime.
WGCDR Dougal Dow, CO ARDU, noted in his keynote speech “Together, these elements create a poignant tribute to the aviators who served our nation and made the ultimate sacrifice in peacetime allowing us to remember them – Then, Now, Always – ensuring their memory will endure for generations to come.” He also noted that the memorial lists a Defence civilian who perished at Woomera in 1956 in a ground weapons incident on a Sabre and a 492SQN maintainer who lost his life in 1988 while on the flightline preparing a P-3C Orion for a mission.
While RAAF Edinburgh personnel supported the service, the Australian Air Force Cadets provided the Catafalque Party and Chaplain Garton of No 24 Squadron, a squadron which lost two aviators in the 1950’s in Mustang crashes, conducted a simple dedication ceremony of the memorial.
The service also acknowledged the70th anniversary of the loss of FLTLT Ross Frayne, a South Australian WW2 and Korean War veteran, who perished when his Air Trials Unit Meteor crashed on take-off at RAAF Mallala on 16 September 1955. Images of FLTLT Ross Frayne were incorporated into a special Air Force commemorative Wreath that attendees were able to place rosemary and poppies on prior to the service before was placed by two Air Force Cadets as the final tribute. More than ten members of the Frayne family attended including two sons and a daughter in law of FLTLT Frayne. A son, Mr Quentin Frayne recited the poem High Flight.. You can read more about FLTLT Ross Frayne by reading a special Air Force Aviator Profile on the AFA-SA Website at https://afasa.org.au/aviator-profiles/ross-frayne
It was a very poignant and special service. Mr Greg Hood AO, AFA National Board Director, attended the service congratulating AFA-SA on the incredible work it is doing in South Australian noting “The Air Force Association South Australia continues to promote Air Force heritage through story-telling and commemorations such as this weekend’s poignant and moving ceremony to dedicate the memorial at the South Australian Aviation Museum to those Defence personnel who lost their lives in Air Force military aviation accidents in South Australia or from RAAF Base Edinburgh based Air Force units.”
He continued “AFA-SA’s contributions to the preservation of the rich air force heritage are remarkable. These initiatives include the work undertaken to commemorate the centenary of the epic air race of 1919 when South Australian brothers Ross and Keith smith flew their Vickers Vimy from England to Australia, the work undertaken in 2021 to commemorate the centenary of the Royal Australian Air Force, the use of social media to promote Air Force heritage, the regular production of AFA South Australia’s interesting and expansive newsletter, working with the broader aviation community, such as the Australian Air Force Cadets and the South Australia aviation museum and completion of the wonderful bronze sculpture at Moonta honouring the RAAF’s founding father, Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams, KBE, CB, DSO. “
In acknowledging AFA-SA’ s work, Greg Hood stated “Nationally, we are also committed to preserving air force heritage through initiatives like the Wings magazine, commemoration events and public engagement, and ensuring the RAAF’s stories and sacrifices endure”.
AFA-SA and SAAM hope that an annual commemorative service will be held at the new Air Force Memorial honouring those military aviators listed on the memorial’s plaque into the future ensuring that those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in peace are also not forgotten Then – Now – Always.
Photo Captions:
- Photo 1: Greg Hood, AFA National Board Director, with Mr Lawrence Ng, President AFA-SA and Mr Nigel Daw, President South Australian Aviation Museum.
- Photo 2: Two Australian Air Force Cadets lay the Air Force Commemorative Wreath featuring imagery of FLTLT Ross Frayne, a South Australian aviator lost in a Meteor crash in 1955 at RAAF Mallala, at the new Air Force Memorial at the South Australian Aviation Museum.
- Photo 3: Chaplain Patrick Garton of No 24 Squadron, RAAF Edinburgh, dedicates the new Air Force Memorial at the South Australian Aviation Museum.
- Photo 4: The new Air Force Memorial at the South Australian Aviation Museum that honours military aviators that have paid the ultimate sacrifice in Air Force aviation accidents in South Australia or from units based in South Australia since World War 2 .
