CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
THOMPSON |
First Name/s: |
Sutherland Dennis "Peter or Suth" |
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Service No/s: |
31211 |
Service: |
RAAF |
Branch: |
Pilot |
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Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, 1939-1945 Australia Service Medal, Returned from Active Service Badge |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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29 May 1941 |
Enlisted at No.6 Recruiting Centre (RC), Hobart, Tasmania, as Aircraftman First Class (AC1), and mustering as Storehand |
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29 May 1941 |
No.1 Recruit Depot (RD), Laverton, Victoria |
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13 Jun 1941 |
No.1 Aircraft Depot (AD), Laverton, Victoria |
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10 Oct 1941 |
No.2 Stores Depot (SD), Waterloo, New South Wales |
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01 Apr 1942 |
Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) |
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02 May 1942 |
Re-ranked as Aircraftman First Class (AC1) on remustering as Storekeeper |
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18 Jul 1942 |
No.2 Initial Training School (ITS), Bradfield Park. Sydney, New South Wales |
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19 Jul 1942 |
Re-ranked as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2) on remustering as Air Crew V |
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10 Sep 1942 |
Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC) and remustered as Air Crew V (Pilot) |
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10 Oct 1942 |
Remustered as Air Crew II (Pilot) |
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12 Nov 1942 |
No.8 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), 30 (Pilot) Course, Narrandera, New South Wales |
Tiger Moth |
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12 Nov 1942 |
No.8 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), 30 (Pilot) Course, Narrandera, New South Wales |
Tiger Moth |
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14 Jan 1943 |
No.2 Embarkation Depot (ED), Bradfield Park, Sydney, New South Wales |
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08 Feb 1943 |
Embarked Sydney for Canada (vessel n/k) |
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02 Mar 1943 |
Disembarked in Canada (probably Vancouver, British Columbia tbc) |
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02 Mar 1943 |
No.3 Manning Depot (MD), Edmonton, Alberta |
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23 Mar 1943 |
No.7 Service Flying Training School (SFTS), Fort McLeod, Alberta |
Anson |
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08 Jul 1943 |
Discharged on appointment to a Commission |
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09 Jul 1943 |
Awarded Pilot's flying badge, commissioned as Pilot Officer on probation (emergency) (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 230.43, p.2376, dated 28 Oct 43) and remustered as Airman Pilot (General Duties) |
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20 Jul 1943 |
No.1 'Y' Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
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03 Aug 1943 |
Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia for the UK (vessel n/k) |
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11 Aug 1943 |
Disembarked in the UK (probably at Gourock, Scotland) |
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11 Aug 1943 |
No.11 RAAF Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre (PDRC), Brighton, Sussex |
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01 Sep 1943 |
No.3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit ((P) AFU), South Cerney, Gloucestershire |
Oxford |
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02 Nov 1943 |
Attached to No.1539 Beam Approach Training (BAT) Flight, Bibury, Gloucestershire |
Oxford |
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09 Jan 1944 |
Promoted to Flying Officer (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 109/44, dated 01 Jun 44) |
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29 Feb 1944 |
No.27 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Lichfield, Staffordshire. Here he would have selected the majority of his crew. |
Wellington |
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19 Jun 1944 |
No.11 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire; administrative Base for No.1 Group heavy bomber conversions |
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20 Jun 1944 |
No.1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Lindholme, Yorkshire. Here the crew were joined by their Flight Engineer. |
Halifax |
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20 Aug 1944 |
No.1 Lancaster Finishing School (LFS), Hemswell, Lincolnshire. Precise date tbc |
Lancaster |
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27 Aug 1944 |
No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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08 Nov 1944 |
No.550 Squadron, North Killingholme, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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31 Mar 1945 |
No.1668 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Bottesford, Leicestershire; as an instructor |
Lancaster |
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12 Apr 1945 |
No.1654 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Wigsley, Nottinghamshire; as an instructor |
Lancaster |
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09 Jul 1945 |
Promoted to Flight Lieutenant (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 196/45) |
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30 Aug 1945 |
No.1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Sandtoft, Yorkshire; as an instructor |
Lancaster |
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25 Sep 1945 |
No.9 Air Crew Holding Unit (ACHU), Gamston, Nottinghamshire |
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27 Oct 1945 |
No.11 (RAAF) Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre (PDRC), Brighton, Sussex |
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19 Jan 1946 |
Embarked from the UK for Australia (vessel & port n/k) |
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21 Feb 1946 |
Disembarked in Melbourne, Victoria |
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21 Feb 1946 |
No.1 Personnel Depot (PD), Ransford, Melbourne, Victoria |
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06 Apr 1946 |
No.6 Personnel Depot (PD), Hobart, Tasmania |
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09 Apr 1946 |
Volunteered for, and accepted for service in the Interim Air Force |
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18 Jun 1946 |
Attached to the Tasmania Flight, Air Training Corps (ATC), Hobart, Tasmania; adjutant duties |
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24 Sep 1946 |
Tasmania Squadron, Air Training Corps (ATC), Hobart, Tasmania; administrative duties |
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27 Jan 1947 |
Headquarters, North Western Area (NWA) Command, 57 Mile, Northern Territories; as a Controller |
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21 Apr 1947 |
RAAF Station Laverton, Victoria; for discharge processing |
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01 May 1947 |
Discharged from the Service 'on demobilisation' |
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23 Jun 1948 |
Appointed to the General Duties Reserve as Flying Officer (or Flight Lieutenant, tbc) (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 18 Nov 48, p.3980) |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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29 Aug 1944 |
UL-V2 |
STETTIN |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 |
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NOTES: |
Target: Port area Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', and 60x 30lb and 660x4lb incendiaries This was his 'second dickie' operation but it is not yet known with which crew and aircraft he flew: it is possibly UL-B2 NE115 with Plt Off K F Forster and crew UL-D2 ME584 with Fg Off M T Wilson and crew UL-F2 PD232 with Fg Off S F Durrant and crew UL-G2 LM294 with Flt Lt P P Hague and crew UL-I2 LM227 with Plt Off K L Trent and crew UL-J2 NF975 with Fg Off N Layden and crew UL-P2 ME735 with Fg Off W A Stewart and crew UL-T2 PD271 with Plt Off A J L Ridge and crew UL-X2 LM122 with Fg Off L Arthur and crew, or UL-Z2 LM651 with Plt Off W S Button and crew |
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12 Sep 1944 |
PB472 |
UL-R2 |
FRANKFURT |
1825 |
0200 |
7h35 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Marshalling yards Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 14x Type 14 incendiary clusters and 120x 4lb incendiaries |
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16 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
LEEUWARDEN |
0045 |
0405 |
3h20 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Luftwaffe aerodrome Load: 20x 500lb bombs Flown in support of Operation MARKET GARDEN |
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17 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
FLUSHING (VLISSINGEN) |
1625 |
1910 |
2h45 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy gun positions to the north of the town Load: 13x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs |
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20 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
CALAIS (SANGATTE) |
1510 |
1855 |
3h45 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal defences Load: 13x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs |
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26 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
CAP GRIS-NEZ |
1105 |
1355 |
2h50 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Heavy coastal gun batteries Load: 13x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs |
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27 Sep 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
CALAIS |
0915 |
1230 |
3h15 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Enemy fortifications between marshalling yards and the Canal de Calais Load: 13x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs |
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05 Oct 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
SAARBRUCKEN |
1840 |
2220 |
3h40 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie' and 14x 4lb incendiary clusters Suffered a failure of Gee so returned early, landing at Elsham Wolds. |
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11 Oct 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
FORT FREDERIK HENDRIK, BRESKENS |
1435 |
1745 |
3h10 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Coastal gun battery (two aiming points) on the south bank of the Scheldt estuary, covering the approaches to Antwerp Load: 13x 1,000lb and 4x 500lb bombs Thompson's aircraft was in the first wave (Battle order 'A') attacking the first aiming point. The target soon became obscured by smoke and dust during the course of the attack, preventing him from bombing. He returned to Elsham Wolds with his bombload |
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14 Oct 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
DUISBURG |
0620 |
1125 |
5h05 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Mines and coke ovens (4 aiming points) in the Hamborn district of the city Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie'; 108x 30lb and 1,170x 4lb incendiaries Flown in support of Operation HURRICANE, this was the first of two attacks on Duisburg that day (see below) |
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14 Oct 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
DUISBURG |
2210 |
0355 |
5h45 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area to the north of the docks Load: 12x 1,000lb and 4x 500;b bombs Flown in support of Operation HURRICANE |
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31 Oct 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
Transit to new operating base at Fiskerton |
nk |
nk |
nk |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Transit from Elsham Wolds to Fiskerton Two groundcrew were carried as passengers to service the aircraft on landing at Fiskerton; 259 Robinson (Flight Mechanic, Airframes) and 929 Knights (Flight Mechanic, Engines) |
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02 Nov 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
DUSSELDORF |
1625 |
2140 |
5h15 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Northern built-up area of the city Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 6x 1,000lb bombs, and 6x 500lb bombs |
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04 Nov 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
BOCHUM |
1730 |
2155 |
4h25 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Built-up area Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 6x 1,000lb and 6x 500lb bombs |
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06 Nov 1944 |
PD312 |
UL-R2 |
GELSENKIRCHEN (NORDSTERN) |
1205 |
1620 |
4h15 |
P1 Fg Off S.D. Thompson RAAF |
NOTES: |
Target: Nordstern synthetic oil plant Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 6x 1,000lb and 6x 500lb bombs |
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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Details |
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Sutherland Dennis Thompson, always referred to as 'Peter' or as 'Suth' by his crew, was born on 20 October 1920 in Devonport, Tasmania, son of Walter Percy Thompson and Millicent Sophia Dennis. He came from a very large family of ten children, his siblings being Desme (b.1909), Beverley (b.1911), Murray (b.1913 - Murray served as Private VX54701 with the 2/9 Field Ambulance, Australian Army Medical Corps, and lost his life serving in Burma on 16 June 1943, aged 30. He lies at the Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery in Myanmar), Rosalyn (b.1914), Darrell (b.1915), Peter (b.1916), Loel (b.1919), Molly (b.1922), and Barney (b.1922). Prior to enlisting, Sutherland was living in Cridge Street, Launcceston, Tasmania, working as a storeman. On 07 May 1941, he enrolled in the Reserve at Launceston, and enlisted in the RAAF on 29 May 1941. On 16 January 1947, he married Peggy Amos. It is not known at the time of writing how many children they had. Sutherland was discharged from the RAAF on 01 May 1947, but retained an appointment in the Reserve. By 1949, Sutherland and Peggy were living in Congress Street, South Hobart; by 1955 they had settled in Randall Street, Dynnyrne, Hobart. They also lived in Quale Street, Sandy Bay and Carella Street, Howrah. Sutherland passed away on 18 November 1987 in Hobart, Tasmania. He was 67 years old. Sutherland is commemorated at Cornelian Bay Cemetery and Crematorium, Hobart in Derwent Gardens, Niche Wall 39 East, 9F.
Thompson family |
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PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Details |
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Enlistment photograph - 1941NAA |
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Under training 1941-1943NAA |
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The Thompson Crew on 576: Back row L-R: Haub, Wilson, Granfield, Roberts. Front row L-R: Campbell, Thompson, ThorpThompson family |
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The Thompson crew on 550 Sqn: L-R: Thompson, Thorp, Campbell, Wilson, Roberts, Granfield, Haub550 Sqn Archives |
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Thompson's sheepskin jerkin painted with a bomb and the target of each one of his raidsThompson family |
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UL-R2, PD213 painted by S D Thompson in 1981Thompson family |
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UL-R2 PD312 Taxying in - painted by S D Thompson in 1965Thompson family |
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