Saved from the Rubbish Bin – The Boys of Hut 15
Some time ago, a builder, who was demolishing an old suburban house in Melbourne, noticed an envelope with faded snapshots dumped in a rubbish bin. Recognising the photos as Air Force related, he passed them on to aviation historian Kevin O’Reilly.
A number of the photos were related to 1WAGS trainees at No 1 Wireless Air Gunners School Ballarat during WWII, in particular the 1 WAGS Course 9 (Hut 15]) which commenced on January 9 1941.
Kevin did his National Service at RAAF Ballarat in 1955 and has now passed these historical 1WAGS photographs to the Ballarat Branch where they are now included in the 1 WAGS Memorial website.
Thanks to the diligence of the photographer (presumably Thomas Worley 407659 who was on the same Course and whose kit bag number appears in one of the photos), names have been included on the back of some photos and as a result all members of the 1 WAGS Course 9 [Hut 15] have been able to be identified.
Forty-four trainees from Course 9 were killed during the war, with this Course having the highest amount of fatalities. Thomas Worley was killed in 1942 in a flying accident at RAF Edgehill, Shenington, UK.
These young men who had volunteered were responding to a call to arms for air crew at the behest of the Empire Training Scheme which undertook to supply partly trained airmen for the defence of England.
It is easy to see, by looking at their faces, that these young fellows were full of enthusiasm for the adventures that were ahead of them.
Sadly, of the fourteen occupants of Hut 15, only four would survive WWII and most would be killed within two years of their training. The attrition rate amongst the early air crews in this war was horrific.
You can read more about the bravery and legacy of these young men of 1WAGS Ballarat by visiting the 1wags.org.au website and also follow on Facebook – 1 WAGS Memorial.
