At rest in Darwin

Ronald Barker.

WORLD War II veteran Flight Sergeant Ronald “Pixie” Barker has found a permanent place at his second home ­– RAAF Base Darwin.

The ashes of the honorary member of the RAAF Darwin Officers Mess and regular visitor to No. 13 (City of Darwin) Squadron were scattered in the memorial garden at the base at a ceremony earlier this year before a 13SQN contingent, WWII squadron mate Tom Hughes and members of the Top End’s aviation fraternity.

Born on January 14, 1923, at Jamestown, South Australia, at 14 he left school and worked on the construction of the Tennant Creek airport in the Northern Territory.

In 1940 he enlisted in the Air Force at Tennant Creek as an aircraft engine mechanic aged 17 after altering his birth certificate to reflect the minimum age requirement of 18. He was sent to Darwin to join the newly formed 13SQN being equipped with Hudson light bombers.

In 1941 the squadron was sent to Ambon. The Japanese inflicted heavy losses on 13SQN until it was withdrawn in January 1942. Sam Barker said his father and other personnel were ordered to evacuate, but there were only four serviceable aircraft.

“They drew straws to see who would get a seat, and dad was lucky. But before he could board the plane, it developed a problem and while they worked on it frantically, a mate offered dad his place on the third plane. The fourth plane never got off the ground as the Japanese overran the airstrip and beheaded all the remaining servicemen,” he said.

Pixie discharged from the Air Force as a Flight Sergeant pilot in 1945, though he did not get a chance to fly in action. He became a member of the Darwin Aero Club and took up aerobatic flying, winning gold medals in the Australian National Championships.

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