Tim Watts (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Leo Armstrong was one of many Australian pilots and navigators in Bomber Command whose job it was to fly missions in enemy-controlled Europe during World War II. He passed earlier this year. He was Uncle Leo to me. When I was a kid, the stories of his life thrilled me. I always thought that they were impossibly heroic and exciting. He was a navigator in the Lancaster bomber G for George, the second longest serving Lancaster in the war, flying 89 missions. Remembering his first mission, Uncle Leo wrote,

Being my first op I carried a reasonably big tobacco tin to use and save my walk down the back of the aircraft to the toilet. After a couple of hours of flying, and remember again it was our first op, the tin was overflowing. When the rear gunner gave the order to 'dive port' everything on my navigation table was airborne, including the tobacco tin. When we eventually got back to normal flying I found the tin upside down but not a drop spilt! We had an uneventful trip back home after that scare.

On its last mission, when the burnt-out engines could not get the plane to the required altitude for the bombing run, G for George instead carried out its mission from 2,000 feet below the other planes, where it was susceptible to attack from both below and above. While this sounds like a death wish, the aura of invincibility of G for George was so strong that the pilots and navigators convinced themselves that, having lasted so long, G for George was destined to survive its last mission. And it did. The plane, piloted almost exclusively by Australians, now sits as a monument in the Australian War Memorial, and you can go and see it for yourself.

Uncle Leo was one of more than 10,000 Australians who served with Bomber Command, an elite group of pilots and navigators that responded to Britain's desperate call for help. They carried out their duties despite impossible odds—of over 7,000 Lancaster bombers that were built, almost 4,000 were lost. The human casualty rate was also great. Bomber Command suffered the highest casualty rate in the entire British armed forces throughout the duration of the war, with 55,000 of the 125,000 aircrew dying in combat. Of the 10,000 Australians that joined Bomber Command, almost 3,500 died after being shot from the sky. Each bomber crew was required to fly 30 operations before being eligible to be transferred to less hazardous duties; only 50 per cent ever made it to that milestone. Uncle Leo flew 32 missions. Somehow, they remained jovial and upbeat despite knowing that the next flight could always be their last.

During their time in Bomber Command, the Lancaster men would take stock on their nights off and head out to the local bars and saloons. Reports of the events suggested that they enjoyed their time off, drinking liberal amounts and causing the kinds of trouble that young men often do. But, regardless of their actions, the locals always cut them slack, understanding that a night out to release some of the stress and tension that resulted in their duties was more than understandable. They were an incredible bunch of young men who, despite living in a world dominated by death and desperation, retained a jovial, light-hearted nature that Australians, particularly Australians in the defence forces, are renowned for. This kind of humour always separates Australian soldiers from those they fight alongside, and it is a trait synonymous with our national identity.

However, we do not celebrate the Lancaster men as we celebrate other diggers, which says a lot about our discomfort about the missions that these men were tasked with carrying out. In his VE Day speech, Winston Churchill actively omitted mention of the contribution made by Bomber Command. When the Lancaster men returned to Australia, they were sometimes referred to as 'Jap dodgers', accused of hiding away in England while Australia needed them back in the Pacific. They have never truly been thanked.

Veterans have complained about being officially overlooked, and they and their family members have been calling for a medal to signify their service for decades. The UK government announced the release of a clasp for service men and women who served in Bomber Command in 2013, a less prestigious award than a medal. Many veterans have boycotted it, with barely half of those eligible applying for the clasp, while others have gone so far as to call it 'insulting'.

There are less than 100 Australians left who served in Bomber Command. Many, like my uncle, have passed since the days of their service. It is high time that we showed them and their families the respect that they have always deserved.

I commend the motion to the House and I thank the member for bringing it to the parliament's attention.

Debate adjourned.

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