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Spitfire Association

FLTLT · 407447

Wilfred Stafford Needham

Squadron/s
76 SQN
457 SQN
Rank On Discharge/Death
Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT)
Nickname
Wilf
Mustering / Specialisation
Pilot
Date of Birth
11 Mar 1920
Date of Enlistment
12 Oct 1940
Contributing Author/s
Phil Listemann

David Hamilton

Updated by Vince Conant

August 2013

The Spitfire Association

Wilf was born on the 11/3/1920 at Renmark, SA.

He enlisted on the 12/10/1940 and after training to be a pilot graduated to fighters.

He first served with No 76 RAAF Squadron and later moved on to No 457 Squadron (Spitfires)

Wilf was discharged 22/11/1945

Wilf's RAAF personnel file has not been digitised as yet so there is little information about him but the squadrons that he served in were in the thick of the action in the Pacific theatre of war. He would have, like all pilots and ground personnel, experienced the worst of war.

Squadrons in which Wilfred served

Photographs

Group portrait of participants commencing No 7 Pilots' Course at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. Identified in the back row, from left to right: Leading Aircraftmen 407442 John Norman Muir McFarlane; 408856 Terence Desmond Madigan; 407399 Alan Wayne Archer; 407404 Maurice Arthur Blake; 408074 Noel Sherrin Geappen (died 16 February 1942 on operations over Sumatra); 408075 Roswell Aubrey Headlam (died 24 January 1942 in an accident in Burma); 04404 Maxwell Osman Carr; 407016 William Keith Bolitho; 407471 Laurence Roy Watson; 407443 Charles Brian McGrath; 407439 Lawrence Arthur Kirk; 407450 Frank Kenneth Smith (died 8 August 1943 in an accident at The Rock, NSW); 408090 Ronald Albert Heath Smith; Dixon; 407468 Murray Edgar Towill; and 407319 Dudley George Eve. Centre row: Leading Aircraftmen Kennedy; 407419 William Roger Francis; 407398 David Searle Ambrose (died 23 May 1942 in an accident in Tamworth, NSW); Rees; McClure; 407467 Robert Ward Threlfall; 407264 Bevan Lotwych West; 407463 Bryce Teasdale Stapledon; 407312 Rowell Wesley Amery; Adams; 407405 Maurice Everest Bridgland (died 28 October 1942 in an accident in the Gulf of Aden); 407476 Donald William Wickes (died 15 April 1944 on operations over South West Europe); 407477 Dennis de Courcy Wilson; 408078 Frank Deryck Ward (died 5 October 1941 on operations over the Middle East); 407475 Rex Malcolm Whitburn; and 407329 Eric Albert Magor (died 19 November 1941 on operations over the Middle East). Front row Leading Aircraftmen 407313 Gavin Anderson Atkinson; 407347 John Harry Hayward Williams; 407400 William Edwin Barclay; 407469 Peter Robinson Vickery; 407336 Lionel Henry Peake; 407431 Ronald Gordon Howland; 407403 Harold George Bennett; 407316 Robert Bruce Cock; 407452 Douglas Garfield Orchard; 407429 George Stacey Hodges; 407448 David Osborn Nightingale; 407435 John Evan Jenkins (died 21 September 1942 in an accident in Cootamundra, NSW); 400643 John Allan Burrage (died 21 February 1942 on operations over Sumatra); 407449 Colin Henry O'Loughlin; 407433 Lilini Sidne
Group portrait of participants commencing No 7 Pilots' Course at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. Identified in the back row, from left to right: Leading Aircraftmen 407442 John Norman Muir McFarlane; 408856 Terence Desmond Madigan; 407399 Alan Wayne Archer; 407404 Maurice Arthur Blake; 408074 Noel Sherrin Geappen (died 16 February 1942 on operations over Sumatra); 408075 Roswell Aubrey Headlam (died 24 January 1942 in an accident in Burma); 04404 Maxwell Osman Carr; 407016 William Keith Bolitho; 407471 Laurence Roy Watson; 407443 Charles Brian McGrath; 407439 Lawrence Arthur Kirk; 407450 Frank Kenneth Smith (died 8 August 1943 in an accident at The Rock, NSW); 408090 Ronald Albert Heath Smith; Dixon; 407468 Murray Edgar Towill; and 407319 Dudley George Eve. Centre row: Leading Aircraftmen Kennedy; 407419 William Roger Francis; 407398 David Searle Ambrose (died 23 May 1942 in an accident in Tamworth, NSW); Rees; McClure; 407467 Robert Ward Threlfall; 407264 Bevan Lotwych West; 407463 Bryce Teasdale Stapledon; 407312 Rowell Wesley Amery; Adams; 407405 Maurice Everest Bridgland (died 28 October 1942 in an accident in the Gulf of Aden); 407476 Donald William Wickes (died 15 April 1944 on operations over South West Europe); 407477 Dennis de Courcy Wilson; 408078 Frank Deryck Ward (died 5 October 1941 on operations over the Middle East); 407475 Rex Malcolm Whitburn; and 407329 Eric Albert Magor (died 19 November 1941 on operations over the Middle East). Front row Leading Aircraftmen 407313 Gavin Anderson Atkinson; 407347 John Harry Hayward Williams; 407400 William Edwin Barclay; 407469 Peter Robinson Vickery; 407336 Lionel Henry Peake; 407431 Ronald Gordon Howland; 407403 Harold George Bennett; 407316 Robert Bruce Cock; 407452 Douglas Garfield Orchard; 407429 George Stacey Hodges; 407448 David Osborn Nightingale; 407435 John Evan Jenkins (died 21 September 1942 in an accident in Cootamundra, NSW); 400643 John Allan Burrage (died 21 February 1942 on operations over Sumatra); 407449 Colin Henry O'Loughlin; 407433 Lilini Sidne