Against Four Enemies

by Lex McAulay

  He returned to Australia in 1946, still with the substantive rank of Flying Officer.

  Alan Rawlinson had flown against four enemies – Italians, Vichy French, German and Japanese and had emerged as a fighter leader with operational, staff and training experience beyond squadron level.

  Post-war

  The peace-time RAAF was not to his liking and Rawlinson transferred to the RAF in the rank of Acting Group Captain, first at RAF Fighter Command headquarters. Then he was appointed to command a jet fighter squadron in 1949, 54 Squadron at Odiham, flying De Havilland Vampires. He became Wing Commander Flying at that base. He commanded RAF Filton, with a Wing of two auxiliary air force squadrons, 501 and 614.

  In 1953 he formed the first RAF Guided Weapons Trials Unit, with missiles for the night-fighter Meteor NF11, first in Wales, then in Australia at Woomera. Back in the UK, in 1958 he was Master Controller at Patrington, and in 1960 he commanded Buchan Sector in Scotland. He retired in 1961 and returned to South Australia to live. He had been awarded an AFC and an OBE in RAF service.

  Alan Rawlinson was one of the most widely experienced Australians to fly fighters in World War Two and post-war. He died on 28 August 2007.

  Appendix

  Claims by Alan Rawlinson

  – all with 3 Squadron RAAF

  Date Enemy Location Aircraft

  19 Nov 1940

  CR42 dam 7m E Rabia Gladiator II

  26 Dec

  CR42 prob NE Sollum Bay Gladiator II N5782

  25 Jan 41

  2 G50 dam Mechili Gladiator I K7963

  3 Apr

  3 Ju87 Sceledeina Hurricane I

  Ju87 dam V7772

  19 Jun

  2 Martin 167 Jezzine Tomahawk

  dam AK388

  28 Jun

  3 Martin 167 Palmyra Tomahawk AK446

  22 Nov

  Bf109F Bir el Gobi Tomahawk

  dam AN408

  Bf109F SE El Adem Tomahawk AN365

  Bf109F prob “

  2 Bf109F dam “

  30 Nov

  MC200 El Adem Tomahawk AN408

  Totals:

  Eight destroyed, two probables,

  eight damaged.

  Note 1: For 3 April 1941, Rawlinson’s

  log-book has two Ju87 destroyed,

  one probably destroyed and one

  damaged.

  Note 2: For 22 November, his

  log-book has two Bf109

  destroyed and two damaged.

  Note 3: One of the Bf109s

  ‘damaged’ on 22 November

  was that of Hpt Ernst Dullberg,

  but Rawlinson did not claim.

  Sources

  Air War Against Germany & Italy

  1939-43,

  official history, 1954

  Desert Warriors,

  by Russell Brown,

  Banner Books, 2000.

  Fighters Over the Desert,

  by Chris Shores & Hans Ring,

  Arco, USA 1969

  No.2 O.T.U. RAAF Mildura

  by John Lever,

  Sunnyland Press, VIC, 1999

  3 Squadron A50 unit

  history sheets in National

  Australia Archives A9186