Boselli brand piano accordion : Flying Officer Alan Lindsay Harrison RAAF, US 530th Bombardment Squadron

Places	Oceania: Australia, New South Wales Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Nowra Oceania: Australia, Northern Territory, Darwin Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Melbourne, Point Cook Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Madang Province, Madang Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Milne Bay Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Papuan Islands, D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Goodenough Island Oceania: New Guinea1, Papua New Guinea, Papua, Port Moresby
Accession Number	REL27058.001
Collection type	Heraldry
Object type	Heraldry
Physical description	Black bakelite, Leather, Wood
Maker	Boselli Pty Ltd
Place made	Italy
Date made	pre 1940
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945

Description

Boselli, Emdeo VI, black bakelite and wood piano accordion (Serial No.7827). The piano accordion has ornamental fretwork across the curved panel adjoining the keyboard, and in the wooden base. It has a leather shoulder strap and two short leather straps for holding the bellows closed. Another leather strap crosses the base.

History / Summary

Associated with 408190 Flying Officer Alan Lindsay Harrison. Born on 29 August 1915 at Cradoc, Huon Valley, Tasmania. Enlisted in the militia in 1940. Transferred to the RAAF in March 1941 and attended Point Cook. He was posted to 7 Squadron at Nowra in 1942 then 32 Squadron (Beaufort) at Coffs Harbour, where he was commended for his general keenness to perform anti-submarine patrols and in particular for an attack on a submarine on the night of 17 June 1943. His aircraft was thereafter labelled 'Subconscious'. From 1943-1944 he was with 100 Squadron at Goodenough Island, Milne Bay and Madang. The piano accordion was run over by a jeep on Goodenough Island but was repaired. He was attached to the United States 74 Wing Headquarters at Port Moresby in June 1944 then moved to North Western Headquarters at Darwin. He was reported missing along with his RAAF crew on a mission with the United States 530th Bombardment Squadron on the night of the 29-30 October 1944. Their aircraft, a B-24J Liberator, serialled 42-110120 and named 'Sleepy Time Gal' was last heard of when it transmitted a message that it was having fuel transfer problems over Timor. Flying Officer Harrison carried this accordion with him on all of his postings and played it to entertain his colleagues.