Matt O'Sullivan (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the recent announcement of the major new exhibition being planned for the Australian War Memorial which pays tribute to the unheralded role of the 10,000 Australian airmen who flew with Bomber Command during the Second World War. Bomber Command played a pivotal role in the overall Allied war effort. It conducted hazardous operations behind hostile enemy lines that formed part of the strategic bombing offensive to disrupt Nazi Germany's industrial capacity while undercutting civilian morale.

For much of the war, Bomber Command was the only direct way of taking the fight to the enemy. The risks involved for Allied airmen were supreme. The air war over Nazi controlled Europe was one of the most uncertain and dangerous theatres of the Second World War. On every mission, each airman faced almost certain death, with the night sky and anti-aircraft fire as their constant companions. Flights would last hours, and crews endured cold, unpressurised and noisy aircraft. During World War II, over one in three RAAF members serving in Bomber Command lost their lives, accounting for 20 per cent of all Australian combat deaths. This amounted to 4,100 Australians killed in action, with many of them having no known grave or final resting place in a foreign field. Yet, despite these dangers, thousands stepped forward with extraordinary courage when they heard their call to action.

One of these was Flying Officer Arthur 'Ron' Sullivan. He was one of the 10,000 Australian aviators who served with Bomber Command, piloting Vickers Wellington twin-engine medium bombers with No. 460 Squadron. He survived the war, accumulating over 670 flying hours. Sullivan was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for acts of gallantry and devotion to duty while participating in bombing operations against the enemy during a mission over Germany in the war's closing stages. The citation for Sullivan's DFC said:

In March 1945, he was detailed for an attack against a benzole plant at Erin. While over the target area, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and severely damaged, the elevator controls being severed. With fine airmanship, this officer regained control and flew back to base, where he made a masterly landing. He is an excellent Captain of aircraft who has consistently displayed skill, courage and determination of a high degree.

Like that of other pilots of Bomber Command, Sullivan's courage exemplified the virtues and spirit of that great generation. The chosen few, despite facing great adversity and with the odds of survival weighted heavily against them, fearlessly volunteered for the greater good. It moved Sir Arthur 'Bomber' Harris, the commander-in-chief of Bomber Command, to later remark of the men he had once led:

There is no parallel in warfare to such courage and determination in the face of danger over so prolonged a period … It was, moreover, a clear and highly conscious courage, by which the risk was taken with calm forethought …

The contribution of Australians in Bomber Command was significant and was as important and effective as those made in other theatres of war, including the Pacific. The service of these Australians should not be overlooked or forgotten. Ostracising their crucial role in the war or airbrushing their legacy will cause history to avert her eyes from us as heirs to that great generation of Australians.

The exhibition is scheduled to open in 2025. I look forward to visiting it, and I will encourage others to do so as well. I commend the Australian War Memorial for its commitment to recognising the valour of these 10,000 brave Australians during the 20th century's darkest hour. Lest we forget.