[Edward]

Geoff,

Glad that this could happen with international shipping at an all time high.

>Of particular interest to me are the numbers of RAAF personnel on temporary secondment to the USAAF bomber squadrons, including the A-20, A-24, B-17 and LB30 squadrons in those dark days of 1942.

I devoted a lot of time researching & describing the lives of those RAAF personnel who were seconded to the 13th and 90th Bomb Squadrons in May 1942. The WAG's had a terrible baptism of fire on May 23 & 25, 1942 during attacks against Lae, New Guinea with a number killed or missing, one POW (later murdered) and one wounded. While USAAF records were often of very little help the personal diaries and photo collections of different U.S. pilots provide a good account of their actions. The personnel & casualty files at the National Archives, Australia were essential in telling the story of these RAAF air crew. It was certainly a pleasant surprise that all Australian veterans and their families who were contacted still retained their flight logs which were a precious record of the missions flown during 1942. We were also able to locate photos of about 80% of the RAAF pilots and WAG's who flew combat with the 3rd BG.

Edward