John “Skip” Bailey

6.0
Skip Enlists in the RAAF

On an application to enlist in the RAAF in 1939, Skip stated that he previously tried to enlist in March 1938. Nothing came of this first attempt to enlist. His enlistment application at No. 4 Recruiting Depot, Pearce, Western Australia, on 3rd January 1939, was successful. His date of joining the RAAF was 22nd March 1939. [19]

On 3rd July 1939 he was tested and his rank of AC1 (Aircraftman Level 1) which was equivalent to a “private” in the Army was confirmed. He performed the duties of a General Clerk. He also took on the job as sub-editor of the “Vamp” publication at Pearce Airbase.

Skip transformed “Vamp” into another publication called “Riff-Raff” which was well received at Pearce. He served 2 years and 37 days as ground staff before he went on to Aircrew.

During this time Majorie and Skip had a son, Anthony (Tony) Millar Bailey who was born on 13th February 1941. They were staying with Marjorie’s mother at 118 Douglas Avenue, South Perth.

Birth Notice Anthony Millar Bailey

Marjorie, Brian Sheridan & Margaret Mary Buzzard, Skip & baby Tony

Anthony (Tony) Millar Bailey (at Aquinas College)

A quirk of the RAAF was that to become a member of the Aircrew, i.e. Pilots, Air Observers, and Air Gunners, Skip had to resign from the RAAF and submit an application for flying duties. On 28th April 1941, Skip was promoted to Aircrew.

His training in aircraft started on 2nd August 1941 and he was transferred to various locations in Australia to complete his training. He served at Pearce, Geraldton in Western Australia, and Nowra in New South Wales.

Skip qualified as a navigator on 16th October 1941, bomb aimer on 13th December 1941, air gunner on 13th December 1941 and an astro navigator on 8th January 1942.

Qualifications from Flying Log Book

He joined Flight Officer Geoffrey Hubert Vincent on a Beaufort aircraft on 6th June 1943 for more training with his crew. He and his crew trained with the 10th Beaufort Operational Training Course in Sale, Victoria and was photographed with his classmates on 14th July 1943. Eight members of this course were to die or were to go missing in action, be executed by the Japanese, died in flying accidents or due to illness during the war.

Skip and crew Training in Sale, Victoria [20]

Skip was promoted to temporary Warrant Officer on 1st August 1943.

Skip with RAAF Observer Brevet

An observer on a Beaufort bomber was a “jack of all trades”.

The Bristol Beaufort was designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in England. Variants of the Beaufort (called DAP Beauforts) were built by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) in Australia. Over 700 Beaufort’s were built at the Fisherman’s Bend in Melbourne, Victoria (Vic). [21]

They were protected by twin .303 machine guns in the dorsal and nose cone turrets together with a .303 machinegun in each wing. Their payload could include an aerial torpedo, or 2 x 500lb or 4 x 250lb bombs.

DAP Bristol Beaufort Mark VIII [22]

Before Skip set off for overseas service, Majorie gave birth to a daughter on 13th September 1943. Marjorie’s address, on the electoral roll, was Central Street, Queens Park – the home of her Sheridan grandparents.

Birth Notice Jacqueline Kathleen Braidwood Bailey

Birth Certificate Jacqueline Kathleen Braidwood Bailey

Skip’s first flight into a war zone was from Townsville to Vivigani Airfield Goodenough Island, off the east coast of New Guinea on 1st October 1943 in Beaufort bomber A9-263.

Last page of Skip Bailey’s Flight Log Book

The flight log book must have been completed before Skip left on his mission on 21st October 1943. For security reasons the log would have been left on Goodenough Island.

Goodenough Is. and New Ireland

The Beaufort had a crew of four; a pilot, Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Hubert Vincent, Navigator, Warrant Officer John (Skip) Pretty Bailey, and two Wireless Air Gunners, Flight Officers Allan Mervyn Brown and Charles William Vincent.

The Crew of Beaufort Bomber A9-244

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[19] National Archives of Australia – Bailey John Pretty, Service Record 4240
[20] Australia War Memorial
[21] Wikipedia – Bristol Beaufort
[22] Super Hobby