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RAAF Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 19 November 2007 Page 3 |
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We are sad to have to announce that we have received notice from Wng Cdr (Ret) Noel Hadfield of the death on Thursday, 21 Jul 05, of Wng Cdr E.R. (Bon) Hall. His funeral was held on Thursday 28 Jul 05 at 2.30 PM at Le Pine Funeral Services, Box Hill, Vic. Announcements were published in the Melbourne daily newspapers on the 23 Jul 05. E.R.
(Eldred Rayner) who as Wng Cdr ER Hall (it’s a name that most will never
forget) was the CO Radschool from 4th July 1964 to the 28th J Frank Alley, who was an EdO at Laverton during that period knew him and said of him “My experience of him was that of a fine, honourable man, much to be admired for his work at Radschool. He was a man that looked older than his real age, I expect due to his war-time experiences. I didn’t know of his past at the time, but some time later I saw him interviewed on an ABC program about the Burma-Siam railway where he described the atrocious conditions and how he and his mates were forced to eat maggoty meat and were happy to do so. He later wrote a book about those experiences - “The Burma-Thailand railway of death” plus a number of other books including “A saga of achievement”, the RAAF radio story, a story of the men and women who maintained and operated radio and radar systems of the RAAF over 50 years; and “Glory in chaos” a story about the RAAF in the Far East in 1940-42. Frank says “I found him to be utterly supportive of a sprog such as me and entirely admirable. I was lucky to be an officer in the RAAF at the time that he was CO. I admired him immensely, even though he chipped me for wearing my 'work' cap on parade. If ever there was a man who epitomised the best of the RAAF for me, it was Bon Hall and my worst moment in the RAAF was when I found that I had disappointed him.” For a long time, after his retirement from the RAAF, he was very active in a number of organizations, but in recent years he started to draw back from active participation. He lived in Melbourne, not far from the City in one of the eastern suburbs and some years ago we thought it only fitting that the man who had so much influence on us when we were young tear-aways living at Laverton, and who should be admired for his past experiences, should be our first Honorary Life Member. We spoke to him some years ago and he was pleased to become our first Honorary Life Member and eagerly waited for and read the RAM. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say we’re proud to have known him and we know he will be sorely missed We have been advised that Glenn Tillack passed away on Monday, 21 March 2005 aged 57 years. Glenn served with 9SQN in Vietnam from Dec 1970 to May 1971. A funeral service was held at the Peace Lutheran Church, Gatton, QLD on Wednesday, 23 March 2005. Anthony (Tony) Delatorre passed away on Wednesday 20 April 2005 after a long illness. His funeral was held on Friday 22 April 2005 at the Simplicity Chapel in Osborne Park, Perth. Tony joined the RAAF in Jan 1960 on 14Appy as an Airframe Fitter and eventually became a WOE. He was 61 years old.. He served with 2 Sqn from Mar69 to Mar70. Warren (Wacka) Armstrong - Ex No6 Appies Transport Fitter and after that at 17 ACS. Wacka died on the 10th May 2005 aged only 69. His funeral was held on Friday 13th May 2005 in Newcastle. |
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There are
only 3 types of people in the world, those that can count and those that can’t. |
In which of his many battles was Lord Nelson killed??
See page 8 for the answer. |
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1968. A lot of us were at Laverton during his reign, yet I don’t think too
many of us ever spoke to him, or got to know him and consequently we knew
him only as that stern looking bloke who took the salute on parade once a
week. Not many of us knew that as a Flt Lt, (Bon) Hall had been a POW
under the Japanese during WWII and was forced to work on the notorious
Burma railway and to endure horrific conditions. It’s probably still a
surprise to most people, and it’s a pity that it has taken nearly 40 years
for a lot of us to find out who our CO really was. Most of us have been to
a war of one sort or another, God knows there has been enough of the
bloody things, but none of us has had to endure the hardships that was
forced on Bon during the later years of WWII.