49 Squadron Association : Personnel Index

Personnel Index - Detail

Name

ABERNETHY

First Names

Geoffrey Benjamin Augustine

Rank

Warrant Officer

Service

RAAF

Service Number

A405667

Crew Position

Wireless Operator

Posting In

Posted in March 4th 1945

Posting Out

June 26th 1945 to RAF Gamston

Flew six operations and one Exodus trip.

A member of the last crew back from 49Sqn's final operation (to Berchtesgaden)

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F/O T C Hawkins is centre rear row, W/O G Abernethy kneeling right.
Other crew members (in no order) are likely to be:

Sgt KW Symonds, F/Sgt G Cable, F/S RL Arnold, Sgt K A Reakes and either Sgts T J Holloway, TJ Millea or WC Wilcox

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Prior to joining 49Sqn Geoff Abernethy had served with 624Sqn (Special Duties Squadron) until it was disbanded in early September 1944.
He was then posted to 148Sqn (also Special Duties) until mid December 1944.
Before moving to 49Sqn he was based No. 55 Personnel Transit Centre, Fort De L'Eau in Algeria (centre of the photograph below).

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As both previous squadrons had been equipped with the Halifax (or possibly Sterlings) Geoff was posted to No:5 Lancaster Finishing School before his posting to 49Sqn (his operations as W/Op are shown below).

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Courtesy of Pam Robinson (W/O Abernethy's daughter) we are able to display the two photographs above and some earlier photographs taken in Australia before his posting to the UK.

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Geoff is on the RHS of the picture