Richard Cresswell, DFC (27 July 1920 – 12 December 2006) was an officer and pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He commanded No. 77 (Fighter) Squadron twice during World War II and again during the Korean War. Cresswell was credited with being the first RAAF pilot to shoot down an enemy aircraft at night over Australian soil, the only man to serve as commanding officer of an RAAF squadron on three occasions during wartime, and the first officer to lead a jet-equipped Australian squadron in combat. His performance in Korea earned him the Commonwealth and the US Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Born in Tasmania, Cresswell worked as an apprentice electrician before joining the RAAF in July 1938. He initially commanded No. 77 Squadron from April 1942 to August 1943, flying P-40 Kittyhawks in defence of Australia's North-Western Area against Japanese raiders. Cresswell claimed the squadron's first aerial victory—the first by an Australian over the mainland—in November 1942. He was wing leader of No. 81 (Fighter) Wing in New Guinea from May 1944 to March 1945, simultaneously commanding No. 77 Squadron for a second time between September and December 1944. In September 1950, during the Korean War, Cresswell took command of No. 77 Squadron in combat for the third time. He oversaw its conversion from P-51 Mustangs to Gloster Meteors, becoming the first RAAF commander of a jet squadron in war. Cresswell also flew F-80 Shooting Star and F-86 Sabre jets in combat while attached to the United States Air Force in Korea. He handed over command of No. 77 Squadron for the last time in August 1951, but flew six more missions as a Meteor pilot in 1953.
Cresswell was responsible for converting pilots to jet fighters as commanding officer of No. 2 Operational Training Unit in Australia from 1953 until 1956. He resigned from the RAAF the next year, and flew with Bobby Gibbes' Sepik Airways in New Guinea before joining de Havilland Australia in 1959. Initially employed as a pilot, he later became a salesman. Cresswell resigned from de Havilland in 1974 but maintained connections with military aviation, including No. 77 Squadron. He died in December 2006, aged eighty-six.
Early life Richard Cresswell was born in Franklin, near Launceston, Tasmania, on 27 July 1920.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 5–7 He was the only child of English immigrants George Cresswell, an engineer, and his wife Constance de Havilland, of the de Havilland Aircraft family. His father died when Dick was three-and-a-half, and he later moved to Sydney with his mother. For three years he lived with another family in Balgowlah, and commenced his schooling at Manly West. He again lived with his mother in Potts Point between 1931 and 1938, continuing his education at Double Bay and Randwick. After leaving Randwick High School in 1935, he began technical studies at Ultimo as part of an electrical apprenticeship with Westinghouse.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 7
Fired partly by his mother's stories of joy flights in pre-war Britain, and a desire to become a flying boat captain for Imperial Airways, Cresswell applied to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) in September 1937. Receiving no answer from the RAF, he applied for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and was accepted.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 7–8 He entered No. 1 Flying Training School at Point Cook, Victoria, as an air cadet in July 1938. Over the next twelve months he learnt to fly in Avro Cadet, de Havilland Gipsy Moth and Westland Wapiti trainers, and graduated as a pilot officer.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 8–9 His first posting was to No. 3 (Army Cooperation) Squadron at Richmond, New South Wales, where he began flying Hawker Demon fighters in July 1939.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 10–11 Cresswell recalled a mix of excitement and panic within the squadron when World War II broke out two months later: "The second night we all slept on the hangar floor next to our aircraft. Imagine it: there was war over in Europe and here we were at action stations!"Coulthard-Clark, The Third Brother, pp. 441–442
World War II After a brief posting to Point Cook in early 1940, Cresswell undertook the instructors' course at Central Flying School in Camden, New South Wales.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 13 He then became an instructor at No. 2 Service Flying Training School, which was formed at Wagga Wagga in July and operated Avro Ansons and CAC Wirraways.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 13–14RAAF Historical Section, Training Units, p. 102 The school's commander, Frederick Scherger, advised Cresswell to grow a moustache to overcome his youthful appearance. He was promoted to flight lieutenant in January 1941.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 14 Following the bombing of Darwin by Japanese forces on 19 February 1942, Cresswell was posted to Williamtown as a liaison officer with the 9th Squadron of the US 49th Pursuit Group (later the 49th Fighter Group), which operated P-40 Kittyhawks and would shortly transfer to Darwin to provide air defence for the North-Western Area.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 18–19Johnston, Whispering Death, pp. 136–137
The RAAF had meanwhile raised three fighter units—Nos. 75, 76 and 77 Squadrons—equipped with Kittyhawks recently delivered from the United States.Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, pp. 139–141 Cresswell, newly promoted to squadron leader, assumed command of No. 77 Squadron at Pearce, Western Australia, on 20 April. At twenty-one, he was younger than most of his personnel.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 19–21 Drawing on his technical experience at Westinghouse, he encouraged his pilots to respect their aircraft and the ground crews that maintained them.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 16, 21 Initially responsible for the air defence of Perth, No. 77 Squadron transferred to Batchelor Airfield near Darwin in August, becoming the first RAAF fighter unit to be stationed in the North-Western Area.RAAF Historical Section, Fighter Units, p. 54Eather, Flying Squadrons of the Australian Defence Force, pp. 89–91 It moved to another of Darwin's satellite airfields, Livingstone, in September.Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 644 Cresswell led the squadron in the defence of Darwin against Japanese raiders and claimed its first aerial victory just after 5 a.m. on 23 November 1942, when he destroyed a Mitsubishi "Betty" bomber.Johnston, Whispering Death, pp. 250–251 It was the first "kill" for an Australian squadron over the mainland, and the first night victory over Australia. When he returned to base and was asked what he felt like, Cresswell replied, "Breakfast". He souvenired the radio operator's seat from the bomber's wreckage.
In February 1943, after No. 1 (Fighter) Wing and its three Supermarine Spitfire squadrons became operational in the Darwin area, No. 77 Squadron was transferred to Milne Bay in New Guinea.Gillison, Royal Australian Air Force, p. 651Johnston, Whispering Death, pp. 267, 291 It came under the control of the newly formed No. 71 Wing, which was part of No. 9 Operational Group, the RAAF's main mobile formation in the South West Pacific Area.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 23–24Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 144 The Japanese attacked Milne Bay on 14 April, and Cresswell claimed one of four bombers (and a fighter) credited to No. 77 Squadron.RAAF Historical Section, Fighter Units, p. 55Johnston, Whispering Death, pp. 285–287 The next month, No. 77 Squadron began moving to Goodenough Island, where it was controlled by No. 73 Wing.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 33–36Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 43–44 As Japanese fighter opposition was limited, Cresswell led the squadron in several ground-attack missions over New Britain.Johnston, Whispering Death, p. 320 He was due to hand over command to his designated successor, Flight Lieutenant Daryl Sproule, on 2 August, but Sproule crash-landed during a raid the same day and was captured and executed by the Japanese.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 71 As a result, Cresswell remained in command another three weeks.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 46
On 28 August 1943, Cresswell was ordered to report to Port Pirie, South Australia, for "flying duties", but found instead that he was to be court-martialled for "conduct to the prejudice of good order and Air Force discipline". The charge arose from an incident in July 1942, when Cresswell had stayed overnight at Port Pirie's mess and had fired his revolver into the floor next to the feet of another officer who apparently had been annoying him.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 46–47Johnston, Whispering Death, p. 251 Cresswell was found guilty and lost three months' seniority. He considered resigning his commission but was placated by the Air Member for Personnel, Air Commodore Frank Lukis.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 47 Cresswell was promoted to wing commander in January 1944, backdated three months to eliminate the penalty of his court-martial.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 47–48
After instructing at No. 2 Operational Training Unit in Mildura, Victoria, Cresswell was appointed wing leader of No. 1 Wing on 25 February 1944, at the specific request of its commander, Group Captain Peter Jeffery, to help reduce Spitfire accident rates.Watson, Killer Caldwell, p. 101 In March, No. 1 Wing hurriedly despatched two squadrons to Western Australia in response to fears that a Japanese naval force would raid the Perth area; no attack ensued, and the squadrons returned within two weeks.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 136–139 Darwin was by now free of Japanese raids and Cresswell left on 12 May to become wing leader and temporary commander of No. 81 (Fighter) Wing in Townsville, Queensland. Comprising three Kittyhawk squadrons, including No. 77, the wing transferred to Noemfoor in western New Guinea as part of No. 10 Operational Group (later First Tactical Air Force), which had taken over No. 9 Group's mobile role and was supporting the US landings along the north coast of New Guinea.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, p. 249
Cresswell arrived at Noemfoor on 26 September 1944 to be informed by No. 81 Wing's new commander, Group Captain Gordon Steege, that he did not need a wing leader. Instead, Steege assigned Cresswell to command No. 77 Squadron, for the second time during the war. Cresswell questioned the decision through official channels, with the result that he retained the position of wing leader, as well as the command of No. 77 Squadron.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, pp. 50–51 The wing flew 1,125 sorties against Japanese buildings, stores and transport in October and November, dropping over of bombs for the loss of fifteen aircraft and eleven pilots.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 386–390 The following month, Group Captain Wilfred Arthur replaced Steege as commander of No. 81 Wing, and Cresswell handed over command of No. 77 Squadron, while continuing to serve as wing leader.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 54 Arthur recommended Cresswell for a Distinguished Flying Cross, but according to biographer George Odgers this was "'lost' in the system".Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 2
The relegation of First Tactical Air Force to areas of operation bypassed by the main Allied thrust towards the Philippines and Japan led to poor morale. Arthur produced a "balance sheet" to demonstrate that No. 81 Wing's combat results were not worth the cost in ordnance and casualties, setting in train events that would culminate in the so-called "Morotai Mutiny" the following April, when eight senior pilots, including Arthur and fellow aces Clive Caldwell and Bobby Gibbes, protested by attempting to resign their commissions.Odgers, Air War Against Japan, pp. 443–450 Cresswell was by then in Australia on leave, having posted out from No. 81 Wing in March. Though in complete accord with the aims of the "mutineers", he believed that attempting to resign their commissions en masse was not an appropriate response.Odgers, Mr Double Seven, p. 61
Between wars