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Contents.
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Brian “Lofty” Carthew.
Nel Hunter advises the passing of Brian 'Lofty' Carthew on Thursday the 24th March. Lofty was on 2TTC 1954/55.
Sorry, no further details.
Bruce Hart.
Neil Hunter advises the passing of Bruce Hart on Thursday 3rd February, 2022. Bruce was on 28TTC and during his career was commissioned. He retired as a SqnLdr. Bruce’s funeral was held on Monday the 14th February at the Lakes in Townsville, followed by an afternoon tea in their function room.
Alan Bivard.
Marilyn Bivard advised her husband had passed away on the 16th January 2022. Marilyn said Alan spoke highly of his time within the RAAF and always encouraged others to join up, their grandson is entering in May. After leaving the RAAF, Alan started the next part of his working career with IBM, his love then turned to computers, hence between the RAAF and IBM he was solidly engaged.
AVM Brian Graf.
Bob Bennett advised the passing of AVM Brian Graf on the 9th February, 2022 after a prolonged illness. Brian enlisted in the RAAF on 18 January 1954 as a cadet at the RAAF College [later renamed RAAF Academy]. He completed two years of the course and was then attached to the University of Sydney where he completed two degrees – a Batchelor of Science [BSc] and a Batchelor of Aeronautical Engineering [BE[Aero]]. He graduated in 1960 with the University Medal and First Class Honours.
In December 1957 while attached to the University he graduated from RAAF College as a Pilot Officer and later in December 1958 he was promoted to Flying Officer.
During 1960 he completed a pilot’s course and was awarded his wings in December 1960. His first flying post was to Central Flying School where, as a staff pilot he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant. Subsequent postings during 1962-64 included Maintenance Squadron east Sale and Aircraft Research and Development Unit [ARDU] both as a junior engineer. In 1965 he was posted to a Mirage squadron as the Unit Engineer Officer and in 1966 to flying duties as a fighter pilot [Sabre, Vampire aircraft]. Promotion to Squadron Leader followed in 1967.
He then attended the Empire Test Pilots School in the UK in 1967 later graduating as a test pilot. Later he was employed at ARDU as a performance engineer and a test pilot. In 1970 he was promoted to Wing Commander. In 1971 he attended the RAAF Staff College and spent the next two years as the Commanding Officer of a Maintenance Squadron. In 1974 he was posted to be Senior Engineer Staff Officer at Headquarters Operational Command where he was promoted to Group Captain in 1975. In 1977 he was appointed to the post of Staff Officer Aircraft Engineering at Headquarters Support Command [HQSC]. In 1979 he was posted within the Command to be Staff Officer Repair and Overhaul.
In 1981 he was promoted to Air Commodore and posted to Air Force Office Canberra as Director General of Aircraft Engineering. Subsequent posts at one star level were Senior Logistics Engineer Officer and Controller of Logistics at HQSC. In 1985 he attended the Royal College of Defence Studies [RCDS] in the UK and subsequently returned to Australia to Canberra to assume the post of Director General of Technical Plans in 1988. He was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal in 1989 and was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff – Engineering. Later that year he was posted to be the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff Materiel. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia [AO] in June 1990.
Air Vice Marshal Graf retired from the permanent Air Force in October 1993. He spent the next three years as the Victorian Chairman of the Defence Industry Study Course [DISC] . He retired in 1999 as the National President of the Defence and Industry Courses Association [DAICA] after which he continued to operate a defence, engineering and aerospace consultancy business.
Brian’s funeral was held on the 25th February in Brighton Vic.
Bill Lucas.
Ted McEvoy advises the passing of Bill Lucas on the 26th February 2022. He was 92 years old. Bill served in Vietnam on the Caribous as the Sgt Instruments with RTFV from March 1965 to November 1965.
Bill joined the RAAF in August 1949 and did his Rookies at Richmond (57 Rookies Course). After rookies, he was posted to Wagga for an Instrument Mechanics Course after which he was posted back to Richmond to 2AD where he stayed for 14 months. Then it was back to Wagga for his Fitters Course after which it was off to East Sale (1952) where he stayed for 5½ years.
In 1958 he was posted back to Richmond to 2AD, then to 11 Sqn then to 486 Mntce Sqn. In 1964 he was selected to go to De Haviland’s in Canada then to the USA for training on the Caribou. In March 1965 he was posted to RTFV in Vung Tau as the NCO IC Instrument Section.
He returned to Australia with a posting to Pearce and retired from the RAAF in September 1971. Although originally from Orange in NSW, he decided to stay on in WA.
Sadly for the past few years Bill was cared for in the Juniper Chrystal Halliday Aged Care Home in Karrinyup, suffering from Alzheimer’s Dementia and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia. He lost his fight on the 26th February.
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Raymond John Martin.
Arthur Rennick advises the passing of Ray Martin on the 12th April, 2022, he was 87 years old. Ray was a Sumpie and was the Sgt with 2 Sqn in Phan Rang from Oct 1970 to Jun 1971.
Sorry, no further details.
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Barry Fraser.
Neil Hunter has advised the passing of Barry Fraser who was on 4TMT. Barry had suffered from Leukemia. Unfortunately, we have no further details.
Doug Kidd.
Ted McEvoy advises the passing of 14 Radio Appy Course member, Doug Kidd on the 17th February. He was 78.
Doug was farewelled on the 3rd March in Hervey Bay, Queensland.
Sorry, no further details.
Barry Tait.
Neil Hunter advises the passing of Barry Tait, on the 5th March. Barry was on 14TTC.
Sorry, no further details.
Wayne Higginbotham.
Michael Harris advises the passing of SqnLdr Wayne Higginbotham on the 22nd February, 2022 after a two year battle fighting cancer. He was 75 years old.
Michael said: “Wayne (Higgy) enlisted in the RAAF on the 6th January 71 as a student on No 80 Pilots' Course, graduating directly into the fighter domain. He was able to account for 22 years of service as a Military Fighter pilot flying Winjeel, Macchi, Sabre, Mirage, F/A-18 Classic Hornet and which included two tours of duty in RAAF Butterworth. Higgy was one of very few to accrue 3000+ hours Mirage. He was the first non-Sabre OCU graduate to fly Sabre A94-983 in preservation.
Truly the epitome of the professional fighter pilot and of fighter test pilots – highly respected by his peers and ground crew – especially the 481(M) SQN and 2AD FAS maintenance crews he worked with so closely. Officer and Gentleman who never lost the common touch – great storyteller, witty, straight-shooter, and an all-around decent human being.
When Higgy was doing his Hornet Conversion Course at 2OCU. “Higgy’s” first Hornet night sortie, when asked “How was that Boss ??”, he looked up and said, “How was what mate ?”. “The flight sir – the ‘light show at night’ ??”. Quick as a flash he came back with: “M-a-a-a-ate…..that’s the best bloody video game I’ve ever played in my life.” Chuckles and (more importantly) smiles all around – that was Higgy.
After resigning from the RAAF Wayne spent over 20 years as a pilot with successive contractors on the ADF Operational Training Support contract based at Naval Air Station Nowra, flying Learjet and Westwind aircraft in support of ADF operational training and exercises throughout Australia and many overseas locations.
Higgy had a private family farewell.
Jim Maguire.
Joanne Evans, Jim’s sister, sadly advises the passing of James Neil Maguire on Tuesday, 8th March, 2022. He was only 73 years old. Jim had fought cancer for a while but lost the battle on the 8th March. He served with 35 Sqn in Vung Tau from Sept 1967 to Sept 1968.
Sorry, no further details.
Paul Bellman
We’ve been advised of the passing of Paul Bellman on Tuesday the 5th April. Paul was the treasurer of the Alice Springs Karting Club.
Sorry, no further details.
George Harrison.
We’ve also been advised that George Harrison passed away sometime in January 2022. George Lived in Hervey Bay and served with RTFV in Vung Tau as assistant loady from Jan 1965 to July 1965. He was 78 years old.
Sorry, no further details.
Tony Stankevicius.
Arthur Rennick advises the passing of Tony Stankevicius on Wednesday the 23rd March. Tony was a navigator and had 20 trips to Vietnam on the E model Hercs with 37 Sqn. He was then posted to 2 Sqn and flew out of Phan Rang from March 1971 to June 1971.
He was being cared for in Greenslopes Private Hospital. Tony lived at Barellen Point, near Ipswich, and his memorial service was held on the 1st April.
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