The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Pacific Star. Unnamed as issued.
Medal awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters for his service with 78 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Waters was born on the Euraba Mission, near Boomi in New South Wales, on 20 June 1924, and worked as a shearer after leaving school before his fourteenth birthday. He joined the RAAF on 24 August 1942 and graduated from the Flight Mechanics Course in January 1943. He was later selected for aircrew training and graduated as sergeant pilot. Posted to No.78 Squadron on 14 November 1944, he flew a total of 95 operational sorties over New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) in 1944 and 1945 from bases on Noemfoor, Morotai and Tarakan. Len has the distinction of being the only known Australian Aboriginal fighter pilot in the RAAF during the Second World War (there are another two known Australian Aboriginal bomber pilots, Squadron Leader D V Paul DFC and Flying Officer R Hill). His regular aircraft whilst flying with No.78 Squadron was a P-40N Kittyhawk fighter-bomber named 'Black Magic', with the Squadron code 'HU - E'. This aircraft had been named by a previous pilot in the unit who had transferred out of 78 Squadron. On 1 January 1946, Waters was promoted to Warrant Officer and seventeen days later on 18 January 1946 he discharged from the RAAF. He never returned to flying aircraft after the war and died on 24 August 1993 in Cunnamulla, Queensland. The manner in which a pair of Len's medals are mounted directly to his pilot's wings is unique and certainly not standard.
Wooden shield shaped boxing trophy which has two aluminium pieces attached to it with aircraft rivets. The top piece, in the shape of a scroll is engraved with the words 'MOROTAI. BOXING. CHAMPIONSHIP
Dutch War Commemorative Cross, 1940-1945 with bar 'OOST-AZIE-ZUID-PACIFIC 1942-1945'. Unnamed as issued. Dutch War Commemorative Cross awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters fo
Textile map of the Amboina and Halmahera areas, printed on both sides in black, orange and blue. At the top on each side are the words 'AAF CLOTH MAP - SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA'. There are several tear
78144 Sergeant (Sgt) Leonard Victor Waters, 78 Squadron, RAAF, sitting in the cockpit of a P40N Kittyhawk, possibly 'Black Magic'. Sgt Waters was one of a small number of Aboriginal pilots known to ha
Pair of machine embroidered Royal Australian Air Force pilot's wings. The brevet has white cotton embroidered wings, a king's crown, and the letters 'RAAF' within a pale blue embroidered laurel wreath
Bronze tri-service badge with combined anchor, rising sun and wings surmounted by a king's crown. Underneath is a boomerang with the words 'RETURNED FROM ACTIVE SERVICE'. The reverse is stamped with t
Khaki cotton twill flying helmet with black rubber ear pieces. Fitted into the rubbers are earphones with fabric covered leads connecting to a red plastic jack. The inner forehead section and headphon
Flying logbook, Initial Training Schools (ITS) training notebook, service certificates of Len Waters, the only known Aboriginal fighter pilot in the RAAF during the war of 1939-1945. Logbook details t
1939-45 Star. Unnamed as issued. Medal awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters for his service with 78 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Waters was born on the Euraba Missi
Pair of machine embroidered Royal Australian Air Force pilot's wings. The brevet has white cotton embroidered wings, a king's crown, and the letters 'RAAF' within a pale blue embroidered laurel wreath
Australia Service Medal. Impressed around edge with recipients details. Medal awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters for his service with 78 Squadron, Royal Australian Air For
British War Medal 1939-45. Impressed around edge with recipient's details. Medal awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters for his service with 78 Squadron, Royal Australian Air F
Dutch War Commemorative Cross, 1940-1945 with bar 'OOST-AZIE-ZUID-PACIFIC 1942-1945'. Unnamed as issued. Dutch War Commemorative Cross awarded to 78144 Warrant Officer Leonard Victor 'Len' Waters fo
Wooden shield shaped boxing trophy which has two aluminium pieces attached to it with aircraft rivets. The top piece, in the shape of a scroll is engraved with the words 'MOROTAI. BOXING. CHAMPIONSHIP