The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Members of Spitfire No. 453 Squadron RAAF at RAF station Skaebrae in the Orkneys, discuss their trip on arrival at their new location. Left to right: 412624 Flying Officer (FO, later Flight Lieutenant [Flt Lt]) Leo McAuliffe, Bexley, NSW; 401543 Pilot Officer (later Flt Lt) George Jackson Stansfield, Richmond, Vic; FO F J Catchpole, London, RAF Intelligence Officer; 404795 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr, later Wing Commander [Wing Cdr]) Donald George Andrews DFC, Southport, Qld, Squadron Commanding Officer; 412491 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt, later FO) Fred Foster Cowpe, Rooty Hill, NSW, "shooting a line." Flt Lt McAuliffe was lost on operations over the Netherlands on 17 March 1945.
ORKNEYS, SCOTLAND. 1943-10-17. LEFT TO RIGHT: 405473 FLIGHT LIEUTENANT (FLT LT) E. A. R. ESAU, BRISBANE, QLD, "B" FLIGHT COMMANDER; 404795 SQUADRON LEADER D. G. ANDREWS DFC, SOUTHPORT, QLD, COMMANDING
The Commanding Officer, 404795 Squadron Leader Donald George Andrews DFC of Southport, Qld, is first to land in his Spitfire aircraft, code named DB-B, serial no. 878 (AA878), when No. 453 Squadron RA
ORKNEYS, SCOTLAND. 1943-10-17. SURROUNDED BY A GROUP OF PILOTS, WING COMMANDER BARTON DFC AND BAR, COMMANDING OFFICER, RAF STATION SKEABRAE IN THE ORKNEYS (RIGHT FOREGROUND), TO WHICH NO. 453 (SPITFIR
ORKNEYS, SCOTLAND. 1943-10-20. 404795 SQUADRON LEADER D. G. ANDREWS DFC, COMMANDING OFFICER OF SPITFIRE NO. 453 SQUADRON RAAF, SHARING A JOKE WITH 14319 SERGEANT H. R. MACKINNON, NARROMINE, NSW, THE O
SUSSEX, ENGLAND. 1943-10-14. 467662 SQUADRON LEADER K. M. BARCLAY, PETERBOROUGH, SA (LEFT), FORMER COMMANDING OFFICER, SAYS GOODBYE TO 404795 SQN LDR D. G. ANDREWS DFC, SOUTHPORT, QLD, PRESENT COMMAND
CORNWALL, ENGLAND. 1943-10-14. PILOT OFFICER W. H. LOW, RAF ADJUTANT OF SPITFIRE NO. 453 SQUADRON RAAF AT RAF STATION PERRANPORTH, SUPERVISES THE LOADING OF LUGGAGE INTO THE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT WHICH I
