The Last Survivor of the Cairns Catalina Squadrons

I stumbled upon this interesting article about 94 year old Bernard Harte, who is quite possibly the last surviving Cairns based Catalina airman:

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2012/09/2...nt-version.html

Cheers,
Blackcat

That's Lewis Bernard Harte DOB 10/09/1918

RAAF# 23086

The number of this generatio that use their Middle names,......my Dad and his Uncles too!

Good to see and pround of them as always

Best
Gordy

Perhaps the last Catalina crew member still living in Cairns?

But certainly "not" the last RAAF Catalina crew member that operated from Cairns?

http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/articl...60499_news.html

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=122794


Regards

Mark Pilkington

Thanks so much for posting that Mark. I wonder how many more are still with us? Does anyone know if the Catalina club of Victoria still exists?

No the Catalina Club in Victoria disbanded about 2009 or earlier as I recall?, but some of the members are still going strong, although as we are now coming up to 66 years since the end of WW2 and even in 1945 any aircrew would have been at least 18yo, so the youngest survivors will be turning 84 this year, and those who joined up at wars declaration in 1939 are now at least 90, and those who joined up in response to Pearl Harbour in 1941 are now at least 88!

I was speaking to Stan Guilfoyle this afternoon, who is in his 90's (as is Geoff Watson above).

I think Stan was on the committee and perhaps the Secretary when the club disbanded, I know he was involved in distributing the residue funds of the club when it was wound up.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Mark,

I'd like to get in contact with you via email as I'm trying to locate a particular Catalina veteran. Could you please drop me a line at topoftheleague[at]gmail.com ?

Regards,
Nelson