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Vets join in the exercise
Volume 49, No. 12, July 12, 2007 |
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HI BOYS: WWII veteran Dorothy Laurie with 77SQN’s CPL Rhys Mitchell, SGT Edward Guevara (US Marines), CPL Tony Banks and LAC James Banks.
Photo by LACW Melina Mancuso |
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World War II veterans Dorothy Laurie and Ron Snell took advantage of No. 27 (City of Townsville) Squadron’s invitation to tour the flightline at the RAAF Museum at Townsville during the recent exercise Talisman Saber.
Dorothy was introduced to 27SQN last year by Reservist member CPL Susan O’Reilly, who she had met at D-Day celebrations on The Strand. Dorothy keeps in regular contact with the squadron and has visited it several times.
During their visit to the base, Dorothy and Ron were hosted at 38SQN by pilot FLTLT Andrew Schostakowski, who showed them through a Caribou.
Later, they met CAPT Pelt, a pilot from the US Marines, at the bunkers and watched four US F/A-18s taxi onto the runway.
At the RAAF Museum, they met with Base Commander WGCDR Graeme Davies, CO 77SQN WGCDR Tim Churchill, CO 27SQN SQNLDR Alan Collier-Baker and a number of junior visiting members from 77SQN.
Dorothy Laurie joined the WAAAF in 1943 at 19 and her three years in the WAAAF included postings to her home town of Bundaberg and the Darling Downs.
Ron Snell, then 20, was one of the first 12 recruits through the newly-formed Townsville depot in March, 1940. He served for five years, after which he became flight engineer on the first flight test of the Lincoln bomber. |
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