Senior, Rex Clifton (Flight Lieutenant, b.1920 - d.2015)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 407010 Flight Lieutenant Rex Clifton Senior. The collection consists of a 94 page typed memoir written by F/Lt Senior titled "My Air Force History". The memoir describes the enlistment process, flight training with the Empire Air Training Scheme at Parafield, Point Cook and Rathmines, Senior's journey from Australia to England via Canada, and his service in Europe and Australia. While in England, Senior served with No 10 Squadron RAAF, the primary role of which was to locate and destroy German submarines, but also proved useful for air-sea rescue and transport missions. Upon his return to Australia in 1942, Senior was appointed Flight Commander of "A" Flight at Nhill, Victoria, in charge of an engineering ground staff and a flight of ten aircraft. He was later appointed Commanding Officer of 97 (Reserve) Squadron. In 1943 Senior transferred to civil aviation and joined the crew of Qantas, where he remained serving until 1945, when he decided to return to University and train as a doctor.

Senior was the last surviving member of the Number One Course, Empire Air Training Scheme, as well as the last surviving member of the Catalina "Double Sunrise" Qantas flights during the Second World War - the non-stop flights from Perth to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) that were the longest non-stop flights carried out in the world at that time. Photographs relating to his wartime flying experience are included in the memoir. A copy of a previous version of the memoir is also included.