Alan Charles Rawlinson, (31 July 1918 – 27 August 2007) was an Australian airman who became a fighter ace in World War II. He was credited with at least eight aerial victories, as well as two aircraft probably destroyed, and another eight damaged.
Born in Fremantle, Western Australia, Rawlinson joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in 1938. He was posted to the Middle East in July 1940 and saw action with No. 3 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, flying Gloster Gladiator and Gauntlet biplanes initially, and later Hawker Hurricanes and P-40 Tomahawks. Twice credited with shooting down three enemy aircraft in a single sortie, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in October 1941 and took command of No. 3 Squadron the next month. He received a bar to his DFC in December 1941, and returned to Australia in March 1942. In May the following year, Rawlinson was posted to the South West Pacific as the inaugural commanding officer of No. 79 Squadron, flying Supermarine Spitfires in New Guinea. After serving as commanding officer of the RAAF's Paratroop Training Unit at Richmond, New South Wales, between April 1944 and May 1945, he returned to the Pacific to command No. 78 (Fighter) Wing, which operated P-40 Kittyhawks in Borneo. Promoted to acting group captain in July 1945, he held command of No. 78 Wing until his discharge from the RAAF in December 1946.
Rawlinson was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) in March 1947. He flew de Havilland Vampire jet fighters as commanding officer of No. 54 Squadron in 1949, and then as commander of flying operations at RAF Odiham from 1949 to 1952. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1952. Between 1953 and 1958 he was in charge of the RAF's Guided Weapons Trials Unit in the UK and Australia. Appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 1958, he commanded RAF Buchan in 1960–61 before retiring from the military to live in South Australia.
Early life Alan Charles Rawlinson was born on 31 July 1918 in Fremantle, Western Australia.Newton, Australian Air Aces, pp. 104–105 He was the son of Arthur Rawlinson, who played for East Fremantle in the West Australian Football League. The Rawlinson family was among the earliest residents of Beaconsfield, and gave its name to a street in O'Connor. Moving to Melbourne when he was eight years old, Alan was educated at Geelong Road State School in Footscray and at Williamstown High School, representing both schools in football, swimming and athletics. Before leaving high school with his Intermediate Certificate, he joined the East Melbourne Harriers' Club, becoming its 1935–36 season champion.Royal Australian Air Force, "A.C. Rawlinson", pp. 7–8
Rawlinson was living in the Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe and had been working as a clerk for two-and-a-half years when he joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 19 July 1938. He underwent flying instruction as an air cadet at No. 1 Flying Training School, Point Cook, and was granted a short-service commission as a pilot officer on probation from 22 June 1939.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "Cadet training"Royal Australian Air Force, "A.C. Rawlinson", pp. 2, 11 On 7 July he was posted to No. 3 (Army Cooperation) Squadron, which operated Hawker Demon biplane fighters out of RAAF Station Richmond, New South Wales.Garrisson, Australian Fighter Aces, p. 152Roylance, Air Base Richmond p. 123 He spent much of the remainder of the year learning instrument flying on the Link Trainer, and undertaking a parachute training course.Royal Australian Air Force, "A.C. Rawlinson", pp. 20–21
World War II
Middle East Western Desert campaign In April 1940, the RAAF confirmed Rawlinson's appointment as a pilot officer and his promotion to temporary flying officer backdated to 22 November 1939.Royal Australian Air Force, "A.C. Rawlinson", p. 2 He was posted in July 1940 to the Middle East with No. 3 Squadron, which was to support the 6th Division in the Western Desert campaign against Italian forces. Sailing via Bombay, the squadron arrived in Suez, Egypt, on 23 August 1940.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 57 The next month it was equipped with a flight of Westland Lysander high-wing monoplane reconnaissance aircraft and two flights of Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters, augmented by four Gloster Gauntlet biplanes to be used for dive bombing; Rawlinson initially trained on the Gauntlet.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 58McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "Middle East"
Rawlinson took part in No. 3 Squadron's first aerial combat on 19 November 1940. Flying a Gladiator, he was one of three pilots escorting Flight Lieutenant Blake Pelly on a reconnaissance mission when they were engaged by eighteen Italian Fiat CR.42 biplanes near Rabia in western Egypt. The Australians claimed six CR.42s destroyed for the loss of one Gladiator.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 56, 61McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "First success – 19 November 1940" Rawlinson has been variously credited with one CR.42 destroyed, one probably destroyed,Thomas, Gloster Gladiator Aces, p. 93 or one damaged.Shores; Williams, Aces High, pp. 512–513 According to his biographer Lex McAulay, Rawlinson believed he destroyed a CR.42 in a head-on attack but did not see it crash, so his claim was downgraded to "damaged". He flew Gauntlets on dive-bombing missions in December; the type was withdrawn from service mid-month.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 62–63
On 22 December 1940, as the Allies advanced along the Libyan coast to Bardia, Rawlinson's rank of flying officer was made substantive; it was the highest permanent rank he received during the war.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 60McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "Wavell's attack" Four days later, he was in a formation of eight Gladiators that attacked ten Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 bombers and their escort of twenty-four CR.42s; the Australians claimed two CR.42s destroyed, and five damaged including one probably destroyed, which was credited to Rawlinson.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "26 December 1940"Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 64 On 22 January 1941, Rawlinson and Flying Officer Wilfred Arthur were despatched in Gladiators to attack an Italian schooner off Tobruk; they machine-gunned the vessel, setting it on fire.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "Hawker Hurricanes"No. 3 Squadron, "Operations Record Book", p. 368 Three days later, Rawlinson claimed two Fiat G.50 fighters damaged after five of the Italian monoplanes attacked five Gladiators patrolling near Mechili.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "25 January 1941" He was notified of his promotion to temporary flight lieutenant, effective from New Year's Day, on 27 January.No. 3 Squadron, "Operations Record Book", p. 370
No. 3 Squadron began re-arming with Hawker Hurricane fighters on 29 January 1941, and Rawlinson started his conversion on 3 February.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 67McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "February 1941 – Hawker Hurricanes" A week later, the squadron moved to RAF Station Benina to take over the air defence of Benghazi, which had been occupied by the 6th Division.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 68–70 German aircraft began appearing at this time, as the Afrika Korps and a Luftwaffe contingent under General Erwin Rommel arrived in North Africa to reinforce the Italians; the Germans launched their offensive in March, and Benina was evacuated on 3 April.Stephens, The Royal Australian Air Force, p. 80Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 69–72 The same day, Rawlinson was credited with shooting down three German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, and damaging another, during a single sortie in his Hurricane.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "3 April 1941"
Syria–Lebanon campaign and return to Western Desert
As the Allies retreated, No. 3 Squadron transferred to Lydda in Palestine, and began re-equipping with P-40 Tomahawks on 14 May.Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces, p. 8 Rawlinson was appointed a flight commander the same month. He became an ace during the Syria–Lebanon campaign against the Vichy French in June–July 1941. On 28 June, he was leading a patrol of nine Tomahawks near Palmyra that came upon six French Martin 167 bombers, and shot down all six; Rawlinson was credited with three victories, raising his total to six.Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces, p. 9 The squadron remained in Syria following the armistice with the French on 14 July. Rawlinson was allocated a new Tomahawk, nicknamed Sweet FA, which he shared with another No. 3 Squadron ace, Peter Turnbull. On 22 August, Rawlinson was practising aerobatics in Sweet FA when the right tailplane detached, damaging the tailfin in the process; he could only control the aircraft by flying at but was able to bring it in for a landing, without flaps, at the higher-than-normal speed.Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces, p. 107McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "28 June 1941"
No. 3 Squadron transferred to Sidi Haneish in Egypt on 3 September 1941, to resume operations in the Western Desert.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 95 On 10 October, Rawlinson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for leading his flight with "determination and daring, pressing home attacks at close range"; the citation noted his six confirmed aerial victories in 121 sorties.Royal Australian Air Force, "A.C. Rawlinson", p. 24 He was posted as an instructor to No. 71 Operational Training Unit in the Sudan on 19 October, ostensibly for a rest from operations, but was soon recalled to take over leadership of No. 3 Squadron from Peter Jeffrey, who had been promoted to wing commander.McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "19 October – on 'rest'", "3 November 1941 – back in squadron command" Rawlinson was promoted acting squadron leader on 9 November, and assumed command the next day.
On 22 November 1941, during Operation Crusader, Rawlinson led No. 3 Squadron on a bomber escort mission near Bir el Gubi in Italian Libya in the morning, and a fighter sweep south-east of El Adem in the afternoon.Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, pp. 201–202McAulay, Against Four Enemies, "22 November 1941" German Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters shot down three Tomahawks for the loss of two of their own in the first action, Rawlinson claiming a 109 damaged. In the second action, a drawn-out battle for air superiority, the squadron lost six Tomahawks against three 109s destroyed, one of which was claimed by Rawlinson along with one probable and two damaged. He had also taken a shot at a distant 109 and, believing he had missed it, did not claim. After the war it was established that Rawlinson's bullets had damaged the 109 and wounded its pilot, Ernst Düllberg, who made a forced landing back at base. Rawlinson was credited with his final victory on 30 November, when he downed an Italian Macchi C.200 in an engagement that saw No. 3 Squadron's tally of claims rise to 106 aircraft destroyed.Thomas, Tomahawk and Kittyhawk Aces, pp. 18–19Herington, Air War Against Germany and Italy, p. 206