Family reunited with Toowoomba serviceman’s bomber jacket

A Queensland family has been reunited with their father’s World War II bomber jacket after it went up for auction in England.

Sydney Wilfred Cheetham

A World War II bomber jacket has been reunited with the family of its original Toowoomba owner, after it embarked on its own 78-year adventure before ending up in a London auction house.

The 81-year-old bomber jacket went on auction at Sworders, an esteemed UK auction house, in mid-March 2024, and is now on its way back to Australia, reclaimed by the family of its original owner.

When Andrea Roberts was sent the newspaper article by her brother’s friend about a bomber jacket going on auction in the UK, she said it was a part of her dad, Sydney Wilfred Cheetham, coming back to her, in a strange and “bizarre” series of events.

Her daughter, Kylie Wall immediately called up the auction house and ended up buying the jacket, paying about $1500 for it and now the family is working on getting it shipped back home.

Ms Wall plans to wear the jacket and her grandfather’s medals this year at Anzac Day as a way to honour him, Ms Roberts said.

The jacket was tailored for Toowoomba-born gunner, Sydney Wilfred Cheetham (1921-1996), who completed 38 combat missions, or sorties, which totalled more than 330 hours flying Handley Page Halifax heavy bombers.

Mr Cheetham enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force in November 1941, was sent to Canada on the MS Klipfontein in May 1942 and trained as a Wireless Operator Air Gunner, before joining the 58 Squadron (Coastal Command) in Stornoway, Scotland.

After the war, the original World War II Irvin 1943 pattern sheepskin and fleece lined leather jacket was bought from a surplus shop by an Essex farmer, keeping him safe from the elements.

“I guess dad left the jacket behind and brought back mum,” Ms Roberts said.

Just before leaving the UK with Sarah Armstrong, (mother-in-law) Dorothy (wife) and Sydney Wilfred Cheetham.

Mr Cheetham returned to Cecil Plains, just west of Toowoomba and shortly after was followed by his wife, Dorothy.

Ms Roberts described her dad as a “true gentleman” who garnered “a lot of respect” from his family.

After the war he spent his days farming wheat and cattle, first in Cecil Plains, then he moved to The Gums and then to Kingaroy, where he spent the last years of his life.

“Dad never talked about the war, I guess it was too hard and there was no help for them at the time,” Ms Roberts said.

“But he keeps coming back to us.”

The remaining descendants now live around the Sunshine Coast.