The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Informal portrait of of 420656 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Charles Kenneth Gilkes and 409249 Warrant Officer (WO) Freeman Strickland, both of the Royal Australian Air Force. Both men suffered serious burns injuries in separate aircraft crashes; Flt Sgt Gilkes in a Stirling Bomber in England on 8 September 1943 and WO Strickland in a Spitfire in North Africa on 10 September 1943. They met when undergoing experimental reconstructive plastic surgery under the New Zealand surgeon, Dr (later Sir) Archibald McIndoe at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, and thus qualified for membership of The Guinea Pig Club, a social club and mutual support network for British and allied aircrew rehabilitated by Dr McIndoe during the Second World War. In September 1944, the men were were authorised by the Air Ministry for repatriation to Australia, with both requesting that they travel together. This photograph was captured in New York on the home journey.
Informal portrait of of 420656 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Charles Kenneth Gilkes and 409249 Warrant Officer (WO) Freeman Strickland, both of the Royal Australian Air Force. Both men suffered serious bu
Collection relating to the Second World War service of 420656 Flight Sergeant Charles Kenneth Gilkes, Royal Australian Air Force. Gilkes enlisted on 9 November 1941 and underwent training in Canada as
Collection relating to the Second World War service of 420656 Flight Sergeant Charles Kenneth Gilkes, Royal Australian Air Force. Gilkes enlisted on 9 November 1941 and underwent training in Canada as
Collection relating to the Second World War service of 420656 Flight Sergeant Charles Kenneth Gilkes, Royal Australian Air Force. Gilkes enlisted on 9 November 1941 and underwent training in Canada as
Informal group portrait of aircrew trainees of 'B Block' RCAF Station Lachine, Canada. Identified is Dicky Jones, 420656 Flight Sergeant Charles Kenneth Gilkes, 420541 Flying Officer David Alexander C
Informal portrait of Herbie Jones [unable to further identify], 420656 Flight Sergeant Charles Kenneth Gilkes and 420740 Edgar Albert James (Ed) Giles. The three men are celebrating at Billy Rose's Ho
