Rumsby, Ross George (Warrant Officer, b.1921 - d.2006) Accession Number: PR91/108

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 416458 Warrant Officer Ross George Rumsby, No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Australia, North Africa and Italy, 1935-1945.

The collection consists of documents, a flying logbook, a notebook, maps, records and ephemera related to Rumsby's pre-enlistment education, his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), and his operational service with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Wallet 1 of 4 - Consists of 22 documents related to Rumsby's education and examinations at the Christian Brothers College, Adelaide, in 1935 and 1936. Subjects under examination include bookkeeping, Latin, English, history, mathematics and French.

Wallet 2 of 4 - Consists of two folders of documents and ephemera related to Rumsby's service in the RAAF. Folder 1 contains 24 documents associated with Rumsby's enlistment and training, including correspondence related to Rumsby's application and interview for aircrew training, information on the RAAF Reserve and RAAF Reservists examination questions, information on Air Crew Entry under the EATS, and documents regarding the programme and examinations for Course 20 at No. 7 Service Flying Training School.

Folder 2 contains documents and ephemera from Rumsby's service in North Africa and Italy, including photographs of aircraft flying in formation and group photographs of Rumsby with other members of No. 3 Squadron (one taken in front of the Sphinx and Pyramid of Giza, and another on Crete), a Croatian 1000 kuna note, a souvenir menu from the No. 3 Squadron Christmas Dinner in 1944, a leaflet criticising censorship during the Blitz on London, a portrait of Captain W. Leefe Robinson VC, a booklet on Operation Bowler (21 March 1945), a programme for the Desert Air Force Fly Past on 28 May 1945, and Rumsby's Certificate of Service and Discharge, dated 29 November 1945.

Wallet 3 of 4 - Consists of Rumsby's RAAF flying logbook, which contains entries dated from 22 September 1941 to 10 July 1945 and records his flying training in Australia and the United Kingdom and his service in Egypt, Naples, Crete and Sinello. The logbook documents Rumsby's initial training with No. 1 Empire Flying Training School in Parafield, No. 11 Empire Flying Training School in Benalla and No. 7 Service Flying Training School in Deniliquin, and more advanced instruction at No. 29 Empire Flying Training School in Clyffe Pypard, No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit in Watton and No. 17 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit in Milfield. The logbook thereafter documents Rumsby's operational service with No. 73 Operational Training Unit in Abu Sueir, Egypt, and with No. 3 Squadron, with which he flew 101 sorties against targets in northern Italy between July 1944 and May 1945.

Wallet 4 of 4 - Consists of a bound notebook Rumsby maintained during his initial flying training. The notebook contains notes on navigation, ground preparations for flying, armaments and weapon systems, signals, parachutes, meteorology, as well as technical drawings.

Folio 1 of 1 - Contains the warrant certificate for Rumsby's appointment as a warrant officer in the RAAF, dated 26 December 1943, and five navigation maps. The navigation maps are of the Midlands and Wales, the North Sea, the region around Rovigo in Italy (which includes annotations near Ospedaletti, Pettorazza, Pachino and along the Adige river), and of the southern Lombardy and Veneto regions (including both Bolzano and Verona).

Custom box 1 of 1 - Contains an oversized navigation map of Bolzano in Italy.

Details

Conflicts

• Second World War, 1939-1945

Units

• No. 3 Squadron
• Empire Air Training Scheme

Tags

• Christmas
• Training
• Maps and mapping