Any further information or corrections would be appreciated. Need assistance on Who/Where/What/How for this man who is on the Australian Commemorative Roll which is for those "Australians" who died in other Allied Services. If proved not to be "Australian" their names will not be removed from the Commemorative Roll however their details will be updated accordingly. I have researched the Air Force members but there are many more Land and Sea deaths in a myriad of different forces. There is not a lot of information on these people that can be accessed easily and I ask your assistance to fill in at least some of the gaps. Hopefully some relatives may see this thread and add more. I will make a different thread for each along the way as they may tend to get lost if clumped together. In Memory of Wing Commander STANLEY GORDON STILLING D F C 39579, 20 Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died age 31 on 01 October 1943 Son of Stanley William Matheson Stilling and Ada Stilling; husband of Beryl Adele Stilling, of Coogee, New South Wales, Australia. Formerly Capt. in Royal Australian Artillery. Remembered with honour SINGAPORE MEMORIAL [FONT="]39579 WG CDR STILLING, STANLEY GORDON, DFC,[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](Born in Australia and enlisted/served in the Royal Air Force – missing on 1/10/1943)[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]REFERENCES :[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](1) Extracts from AWM Commemorative Roll : Reported missing in battle and later[/FONT] [FONT="]presumed dead on 1 October 1943. Born 16 January 1912 Sydney, NSW. Member[/FONT] [FONT="]RAF on loan to RAAF.[/FONT] [FONT="](2) Commonwealth War Graves : 20 Sqn Royal Air Force. Son of Stanley William[/FONT] [FONT="]Matheson Stilling and Ada Stilling : husband of Beryl Adele Stilling of Coogee,[/FONT] [FONT="]NSW. Formerly Captain Royal Australian Artillery. Age 31 when died.[/FONT] [FONT="]Name recorded on Singapore Memorial, Column 423.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]The Memorial stands in the Kranji War Cemetery, which is 22kms north of the city of[/FONT] [FONT="]Singapore, on the north side of Singapore Island overlooking the Straits of Johore.[/FONT] [FONT="]The Cemetery is known locally as the Kranji Memorial.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](3) WW2 Nominal Roll : records his Service as Royal Australian Air Force.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](4) Extracts from RAF Service record Form 373 : NAA : A9300, Barcode 5262137[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Granted Short Service Commission RAF : 8 March 1937.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Types of Marine Aircraft flown : Swordfish, Walrus, Sunderland, Catalina[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Locations : Scapa, Singapore.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Courses : Flying Training : C.F.S. 21/12/36 to 8/3/1937 and 4 FTS 15/4/37 to[/FONT] [FONT="]20/11/37.[/FONT] [FONT="]Navigation Reconnaissance : School of Air Navigation 7/12/37 to2/4/1938[/FONT] [FONT="]Flying Boat Conversion : Calshot 11/4/38 to 3/6/1938[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Postings and Attachments :[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]To Duty Date[/FONT] [FONT="]CFS White Waltham 21/12/36[/FONT] [FONT="]No 4 F T S M.E. Flying 3/4/37[/FONT] [FONT="]Stn Calshot Supernumerary 30/10/37[/FONT] [FONT="]School of Air Nav Flying 6/12/37[/FONT] [FONT="]Stn Calshot - 3/4/38[/FONT] [FONT="]205 Sqn Far East Adjutant 16/7/38[/FONT] [FONT="]RAF Stn Seletar Defence 5/8 to 21/8/1940[/FONT] [FONT="](Singapore)[/FONT] [FONT="]S.D. RAAF 3/4/1942[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Safe in Australia Continued :[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]5 E D 4/3/42 1RPP Disposal 2/10/43[/FONT] [FONT="]S.T.F 18/3/42[/FONT] [FONT="]S.T.Sqn 5/6/42 Missing Operations[/FONT] [FONT="]HQ Eastern Area 12/10/42 20 Sqn RAF POR 2/43[/FONT] [FONT="]Ceased 16/10/42[/FONT] [FONT="]3 O.T.U C.O. 12/1/43 RAAF Hq N/E Pool 2/4/44[/FONT] [FONT="]20 Sqn C.O 29/3/43[/FONT] [FONT="](5) Extract from NAA : A9300, Barcode 5262137 Wg Cdr Stilling, DFC, RAF[/FONT] [FONT="]Catalina Captain 20 Sqn RAAF, Cairns[/FONT] [FONT="]24/3/43 1[FONT="]st [/FONT][FONT="]Flight[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]31/3/43 Recce Cairns – Milne Bay – Gasmata – Bismark Sea.[/FONT] [FONT="]10/4/43 Strike Babo[/FONT] [FONT="]22/4/43 Mine Laying Kavieng.[/FONT] [FONT="]9/5/43 Cairns – Babo Started fires.[/FONT] [FONT="]17/9/43 Last flight[/FONT] [FONT="]Killed 1/10/43 Death presumed.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](6) Extracts from Operations Record Book, 20 Squadron RAAF Cairns :[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]AWM 64, Roll 21 refers :[/FONT] [FONT="]25/3/43 : No 39579 S/Ldr S G Stilling, DFC, arrived from Rathmines to take over[/FONT] [FONT="]command of Squadron.[/FONT] [FONT="]1/10/43 : Catalina RB – X, W/C Stilling, F/L Hyde, Aircraft proceeds to Darwin AM[/FONT] [FONT="]hours 1[FONT="]st [/FONT][FONT="]October, to carry out reconnaissance of Pomelaa Anchorage Objective to[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT="]locate and attack 7000 to 8000 freighter transport. RB – X missing on operation.[/FONT] [FONT="]Extensive search carried out. Nil sightings.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](7)AWM Honours & Awards (Gazetted) Database :[/FONT] [FONT="]Sqn Ldr Stilling, Stanley Gordon Unit 205 Sqn RAF[/FONT] [FONT="]Award : Distinguished Flying Cross.[/FONT] [FONT="]Date of London Gazette : 27 March 1942, page 1381, position 1.[/FONT] [FONT="]AWM 88 L/91 RAF : Dominion Office requesting the Governor General to present[/FONT] [FONT="]the DFC to the widow.[/FONT] [FONT="]AWM 88 Sydney/19-6 : Invitation to the widow to attend the ceremony[/FONT] [FONT="]Note : actual Citation is not on the above files.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](8) Extract from NAA : A705, 163/22/100 RAAF Casualty file Wg Cdr Atkinson, R[/FONT] [FONT="]A :[/FONT] [FONT="]“At 1300 hours on 25 December 1941, a Catalina of 205 Sqn RAF under the[/FONT] [FONT="]command of Sqn Ldr S.G.Stilling was despatched from Seleter to search for and[/FONT] [FONT="]located nine survivors at 1530 hours. The aircraft AH 540 had by then sunk. Two[/FONT] [FONT="]dinghies were dropped and the survivors were eventually picked up at 0400 hours the[/FONT] [FONT="]next day and returned to Seleter, arriving at 1200 hours on the following day.”[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Citation :[/FONT] [FONT="]The Citation for the DFC awarded to the then Sqn Ldr Stilling of 205 Sqn RAF is as[/FONT] [FONT="]follows : “In January 1942, while carrying out an attack on an enemy aircraft, in the[/FONT] [FONT="]face of intense ground fire, Sqn Ldr Stilling’s aircraft was damaged, the port oil tank[/FONT] [FONT="]being hit and one engine put out of action. In spite of this he succeeded with great[/FONT] [FONT="]skill and coolness in bringing the aircraft safely back to base. Sqn Ldr Stilling has[/FONT] [FONT="]always displayed great courage and determination in carrying out his attacks. [/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]London[/FONT] [FONT="]Gazette 27/3/1942 page 1381.”[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="](9) AWM 64 (1/112) Parts 1 and 2 : Details of operational missions as recorded in[/FONT] [FONT="]No 20 Sqn Operational Record Books, carried out by Stilling when Commanding[/FONT] [FONT="]Officer of 20 Sqn RAAF : (Being an RAF Officer on loan to the RAAF)[/FONT] [FONT="]25/3/43 : Sqn Ldr Stilling S G arrived at Cairns, Q’Land from Rathmines to take over[/FONT] [FONT="]Command of the Squadron.[/FONT] [FONT="]22/4/1943 : Catalina RB – S. Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, FO Keene.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Sea Mining. Time up 22/0415Z Time down 23/0112Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]All aircraft completed Popsy 1 successfully. Accurate opposition from ships and[/FONT] [FONT="]shore. Full details by safe hand to AOC RAAF Command and AOC NEA. Eight[/FONT] [FONT="]Catalinas involved in mission. (Note : believe Popsy 1 was the code name for[/FONT] [FONT="]Kavieng, New Ireland.)[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]4/5/1943 : Catalina RB – S Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, Sgt Tresgaskis.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Patrol Area M. Time up 4/0110Z Time down 5/0102Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Patrol cancelled due to bad weather conditions. Nil enemy sightings.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]9/5/1943 : Catalina RB – S. Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, Sgt Tregaskis.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Attack Babo. Time up 9/0122Z Time down 10/0245Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]Bombs fell diagonally across runway along road to seaplane hangar across east side of[/FONT] [FONT="]north/south runway through area encompassed by small intermediate strip and north[/FONT] [FONT="]of road resulting in visible destruction of three aircraft. A fire of vast proportion in[/FONT] [FONT="]vicinity of oil tank with black smoke billowing to over 5000 feet. West of this point[/FONT] [FONT="]an explosion that shook the aircraft accompanied by a flash which lit up the aircraft at[/FONT] [FONT="]6000 feet.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] Part 2 next post
Part 2 [FONT="]13/5/1943 : Catalina RB – S. Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, FO Wilkinson.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Sea Mining. Time up 13/0440Z Time down : 14/0250Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Popsy 11 successfully completed. Nil opposition.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]27/5/1943 : Catalina RB – S. Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, Sgt Tresgaskis, PO Mobbs.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Fairy operation. Time up 27/0316Z Time down 27/2115Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Fairy operation successfully completed.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]30/5/1943 : Catalina RB – Z. Crew : Sqn Ldr Stilling, Sgt Tresgaskis.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Fairy operation. Time up 30/0325Z Time down 31/0050Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]Fairy operation successfully completed.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]1/6/1943 : Sqn Ldr Stilling appointed A/g Wg Cdr.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]7/6/1943 : Catalina RB - Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Sgt Griffiths.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : SGX Force G Time up 7/0245Z Time Down 7/0905Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Nil enemy sightings. At 8/0600Z Convoy in position 13.35S, 147.45E.[/FONT] [FONT="]9/6/1943 : Catalina RB – V Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Sgt Griffiths.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Attack Babo. (West Dutch New Guinea) Alternative target Timoeka.[/FONT] [FONT="]Time up 9/2134Z Time down 11/0038Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]All bombs in target area causing one large fire south west of east end of second[/FONT] [FONT="]runway. Two medium fires north of second runway, also numerous smaller fires in[/FONT] [FONT="]areas of above. Consider fires to be aircraft. Three fires north of road leading to[/FONT] [FONT="]seaplane base and one in water near smaller craft. Ack ack medium and heavy, slight[/FONT] [FONT="]to moderate.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]15/6/1943 : Catalina RB – W. Crew Wg Cdr Stilling, Sgt Abby, Sgt Griffiths.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Attack Llanggoea. Time up 15/2320Z Time down 16/2147Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]Three aircraft on mission. All aircraft attacked Llanggoea.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Many small fires in town and edge runway. Large fires started in position west end[/FONT] [FONT="]runway. Visible for 40 miles on return flight. Direct hits 3 heavy ack ack gun[/FONT] [FONT="]positions and single Bofors which silenced those guns. Bombs dropped 8 x 500 demo,[/FONT] [FONT="]24 x 250 GP, 56 x 20 Frag. All in target area.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]19/6/1943 : Catalina RB – W. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Flt Lt Lawrence, Sgt Abbey.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Patrol area E. Time up 19/2350Z Time down 20/2330Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]ASV 95% efficient. Patrol at 1500/2000 feet to within 30 miles of Salamau.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]25/6/1943 : Catalina RB – W. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, PO Froud.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Sea Mining. Mission successfully accomplished.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]5/7/1943 : Catalina RB – Q. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, PO Froud, Flt Sgt Brindsley.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Patrol area O. Time up 5/0355Z Time down : 5/2315Z[/FONT] [FONT="]ASV 90% efficient. At 05/1336Z observed flare position 01.10S, 151.45E. Nil other[/FONT] [FONT="]sightings or indications.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]8/7/1943 : Catalina RB - R. Crew : Wg Cdrt Stilling, FO Froud.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Travel to Tanahmerah. Time up 8/2035Z. Time down 10/0025Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]Mission carried out successfully.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]14/7/1943 : Catalina RB – W. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, FO Froud, PO Porteous.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Sea mining. Time up 14/0035Z. Time down 15/0215Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]Part of mission successfully completed.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]20/7/1943 : Catalina RB – N. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, FO Marr, FO Froud.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Patrol Area O Time up 20/0035Z Time down 21/0050Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]ASV 90% efficient. Nil sightings.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]26/7/1943 : Catalina RB – X. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Strike. Time up 26/2310Z. Time down 27/0050Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Mission uncompleted. Recalled owing to bad weather over target.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]3/9/1943 : Catalina RB – X. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Flt Sgt Stephens.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : four aircraft to attack Lakunai & Vanakanua. New Britain.[/FONT] [FONT="]Time up 3/0056Z Time down 3/2130Z.[/FONT] [FONT="]All aircraft over target except RB-M which returned due to insufficient time to reach[/FONT] [FONT="]target before daylight. Remaining aircraft dropped bombs in areas allotted. Many[/FONT] [FONT="]large fires started & numerous explosions. Intense searchlight and moderate to light[/FONT] [FONT="]ack-ack from known positions. Entire mission very successful. All aircraft returned to[/FONT] [FONT="]base.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]5/9/1943 : Catalina RB – X. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Fl Lt Cowan, Flt Sgt[/FONT] [FONT="]Stephens.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Sea mining. Time up 5/2245Z Time down 8/0615Z[/FONT] [FONT="]Mission successfully accomplished.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]12/9/1943 : Catalina RB - Crew Wg Cdr Stilling.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Two aircraft strike on Ambon. Time up 12/2250Z. Time down[/FONT] [FONT="]14/0330Z.Mission successfully completed. All bombs fell in target area causing[/FONT] [FONT="]numerous fires. One very big fire started at base of concrete wharf, three medium and[/FONT] [FONT="]several small fires started in vicinity. Intense to light moderate A/A encountered by all[/FONT] [FONT="]aircraft. Main fires were started by FJ – G which were observed by all other aircraft.[/FONT] [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]1/10/1943 : Catalina RB – X. Crew : Wg Cdr Stilling, Flt Lt Hyde, Flt Sgt Black.[/FONT] [FONT="]Duty : Attack shipping in Pomelaa Harbour. Time up 30/2010Z. Time down ---[/FONT] [FONT="]The aircraft proceeded to Darwin AM hours. Objective of mission to locate and attack[/FONT] [FONT="]a 7000/8000 ton freighter transport. RB – X did not return from this mission.[/FONT] [FONT="]An extensive search was carried out but nil sightings of aircraft or crew.[/FONT] [FONT="]Presumed date of death Wg Cdr Stilling 1/10/1943.[/FONT]
