BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
The Australian High Commission in London has hosted a ceremony to honour Flight Lieutenant Murray Adams, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) hero who flew with the RAF’s 80 and 250 Squadrons during World War II.
The event, on 14 July, celebrated Adams and 12 other WWII flying aces through handcrafted memorabilia created by historian and craftsman David Wilson. Wilson, who self-funded the project, approached the High Commission’s Air Force team to present these unique tributes.
This prompted a nationwide search for Adams’ relatives. John Bushell, RAAFA Queensland Division President, located Adams’ daughter, Rosemary Adams, on the Gold Coast in Queensland.
“My father would have been delighted to have been honoured in this way, though maybe a little humbled. I am sure that he would have thought that there were many others more deserving than himself. He would have loved to have been able to go to London for this ceremony and meet David Wilson,” said Mrs Adams.
“My father spent his later years reading history books and editing and writing about his and other veterans’ exploits during World War II. His other favourite essay topic was writing about the aircraft he flew, particularly various types of Spitfires. He was a great storyteller.
“He, like David Wilson, was also a very capable craftsman who made all sorts of things out of wood, metal, etc. During the war, he was shot down by a ‘Hun in the Sun’ and was forced to crash land his aircraft behind enemy lines, in the Libyan desert. Before leaving the plane, he took the time to unscrew the clock from the aircraft to use as a compass so that he could hopefully find his way back to his base. After the war, he mounted the clock in a wooden cigar box and had it on his desk at home.
“Air Marshal Stephen Chappell came to my father’s wake in 2015 as the RAAF’s representative and he was able to look at my father’s logbook detailing his service during the war. Air Marshal Chappell was impressed with the large number of missions he flew in only five years of war service. He said that modern RAAF pilots would not achieve that number in their whole career.”
Wing Commander Wayne Baylis, Assistant Air Force Adviser, oversaw the event, where Adams’ wartime achievements as a Spitfire pilot were highlighted, and Wilson’s memorabilia presented to Air Marshal Chappell on behalf of Adams’ family. Photos from Rosemary, capturing Adams’ life and service, were displayed, enriching the tribute.
Lest We Forget.
