Sole survivor unveils plaque to honour his fallen Bombing of Darwin mates

VETERANS from the 2 and 13 RAAF Hudson Bomber Squadrons have been immortalised in a new plaque at the Darwin Cenotaph

VETERANS from the 2 and 13 RAAF Hudson Bomber Squadrons have been immortalised in a new plaque at the Darwin Cenotaph.

Flight Lieutenant Roger Brian Winspear, known to his friends as Brian, is the last survivor of the squadrons and was given the honour of unveiling the plaques, and explained the importance the two squadrons had during the bombing of Darwin.

“The 2 and 13 squadrons arrived in Darwin pretty much together,” Mr Winspear said.

Bombing of Darwin veteran Flight Lieutenant Brian Winspear at the Darwin Esplanade for the unveiling of a plaque to honour 2 and 13 RAAF Hudson Bomber Squadrons. Picture: Keri Megelus

“The two squadrons were here from 1941 to 1943 and lost 200 aircrew in that time – three-quarters of us were wiped out.”

Previously, the squadrons had received little recognition for their heroic actions.

“(The squadrons) did such a fine job the American president gave them a special presidential citation medal which is the little blue (badge), in appreciation of what the two squadrons did,” Mr Winspear said.

“Ever since then, nobody else has recognised us, there was no publicity at the time and the Australian government wasn’t interested.”

A photograph of the Darwin Harbour and the USS Peary up in smoke after the Japanese bombing of Darwin on February 19, 1942

A ship on fire in the Darwin Harbour on, February 19, 1942, after Japanese forces bombed the northern coast of the Top End

Black smoke covers the Darwin skyline after the Japanese launched a massive air attack against Darwin on February, 19, 1942, the first of many bomb attacks that killed hundreds of people and destroyed numerous Allied aircraft and ships

Smoke hangs over the Darwin waterfront after the Japanese attack on Darwin on February, 19, 1942

An Australian Wirrway plane (background) and American Kittyhawk (foreground) in a hangar after the Bombing of Darwin

But the 99-year old worked hard to have his fallen comrades remembered and finally, 77 years later and with a little bit of help, he has had his troop recognised.

“For 75 years, I have been agitating to get some recognition of the terrible losses we had, so today is important,” Mr Winspear said.

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“Before I got to 100, I had to do something – Tom Lewis organised for the help of the Order of Australia Association and (Darwin) council of course put some money in it.

“We raised enough money to make this bronze plaque and that’s the small contribution I’ve had to get some sort of recognition.”

Bombing of Darwin veterans Basil Stahl, 96, from the 2nd field survey corp, Brian Winspear, 99, RAAF air gunner and Mervyn Ey, 97, from the 27th Scottish Infantry Batallion, at the East Point Gun turret. Picture: Justin Kennedy

Mr Winspear told the crowd of his stories with his comrades, who scavenged for breakfast and drank a beer in the remains of their squadron’s mess and kitchen, reduced to rubble after the bombing.

Along with those memories, he shared a paper sheet with the names of all of the members who died.

It stood more than nine feet (2.7m) tall.

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Now those soldiers’ legacy extends beyond that piece of paper and will forever remain in Bicentennial Park, overlooking Darwin Harbour and the Navy Base, where the first bombs once fell.

Originally published as Sole survivor unveils plaque to honour his fallen Bombing of Darwin mates