Australia Service Medal : Pilot Officer P M Oleinikoff, 575 Squadron, RAF Accession Number: REL36758.005

Description

Australia Service Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Contextual Description

Peter Matthew Oleinikoff was born on 5 October 1910 in Suchun, Siberia and emigrated to Australia with his parents two years later, in 1912. The family settled in Cordalba, Queensland. His father, Matjeus Oleinikoff was naturalised in 1915, enlisted in 1916 as a reinforcement with 26th Battalion AIF, although an old fracture of his left tibia and fibula saw him invalided home from England. With his wife Dorrie, they had seven children.

Peter Oleinikoff was working as a labourer at the Mount Isa mines when he enlisted with the RAAF on 28 March 1942. After training he flew with 233 Squadron of RAF Transport Command in 1944, flying DC-3s, bringing the wounded back from the Normandy battlefields. He was transferred to 575 Squadron, RAF, also operating DC-3s and promoted to pilot officer. On the morning of 6 February 1945 he was piloting DC-3 KG630 in thick fog from Thornley Island, Hampshire to Rosieres-en-Santerre airfield in France, loaded with British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand airforce personnel from 140 Wing – 20 men, plus the 4 crew members. His second pilot was Flight Sergeant Edgar Barsby, also an Australian. Just after 10.00 am the DC-3 struck the side of a hill near Folkington on the South Downs, the starboard wing broke off and the aircraft crashed into a wood. It immediately caught fire, killing all on board. Ground rescuers were hampered by the lack of water and it was 6.00 pm before the last body was recovered. Peter Matthew Oleinikoff is buried at the Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey.