FLTLT John Rodney Henry Elphick 402157

MiD

John ELPHICK was born on the 28 February, 1919 at Cootamundra N.S.W. and enlisted on the 24 June, 1940 at Sydney N.S.W.

John Elphick: At 12.40, twelve aircraft took off led by W/C Ryder for Circus 108, the Squadron forming the lower port side of escort to 4 Blenheims whose target was Arques shift-lift. Intercepted by enemy aircraft, his aircraft was hit and he was forced to bale out over the sea. He was rescued later in the day.

A native of N.S.W. Australia, he had joined the squadron in August after having served in No. 111 Sqn. between May and August, 1941. Repatriated to Australia mid-1942, he left No. 452 Squadron and was posted to No. 76 Sqn. R.A.A.F. with which he served until the beginning of 1943.

Before the end of the war he started another tour of operations in March 1945 flying with Nos. 113 (ASR) and No. 115 (ASR) Flights.

Honours and Awards - John Rodney Henry Elphick

Service number: 402157
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Unit: 115 ASR Fl
Service: RAAF
Conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945
Award: Mention in Despatches
Date of London Gazette: 25 June 1946
Location in London Gazette: Page 3218, position 67
Date of Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 27 June 1946
Location in Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: Page 1725, position 58

(3rd Draft) Embarked Sydney for Canada October 31, 1940. First Row: (400141) Keith Kipling Cox, (402255) Arthur James Sheerin; (400145) Lloyd George Horsfall; (400150)John Milburn Mayall; (402150) Keith Bruce Chisholm (MC, DFM); (402178) Norman Walter Ross Wood; (400146) Robert Arthur Knappett; (400147) Howard Charles Lester - 605/185 Sqns; J. L. Tully; (404103) Richard Tweedy 'Dick' Holt; (402177) William Allan Wilson. Middle Row: (402152) John Charles Murray Curtis; E. G. Hughes; (402157) John Rodney Henry Elphick; (400163) Clive Newton Wawn - DFC, (2 e/a/ destr.); (402191) John Worrall Roche; (402175) Richard Selkirk Waddy; (402160) Robert Alexander Gray; (400156) Claude Murray Ross; (400157) John Robertson Ross; (402165) Bruce Johnston McLelland; K. N. Murray; D. W. McCormick; Percival Martin Sloan (400158); Justin Hilary O'Bryne (408022) (POW). Back row: (402139) Raymond Shaw; William Jeffrey Metherall; Keith William 'Bluey' Truscott (DFC & Bar, MID); A. P. Stephenson; (400135) Eric Henry Schrader ; (402232) William Davies Eccleton; (400142) Edward Anzac Dupleix (DFC); (400166) William Douglas Willis; (400148) Donald Edwin Lewis; (402256) Mark Ernest Sheldon; (402151) James Archer Cormack; (402196?) W.L.F. Anderson; G. B. Chapman; (407110) Colin Tolhurst Arthur.

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February 1942 - Pilots of No. 452 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF based at an RAF Station in Redhill, England. L to R: 402157 Pilot Officer (PO) John Rodney Henry Elphick; 403463 Flying Officer Robert Armstrong; 400213 Squadron Leader Keith William Truscott DFC (died 28 March 1943 in Western Australia); 402256 PO Mark Ernest Sheldon (died 11 August 1942 on operations over New Guinea); 402260 Flight Lieutenant Raymond Harold Charles Sly (died 9 May 1942 on operations in Malta); 404724 PO Davidson Freeman Evans.

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