- Wilfred Arthur
Infobox Military Person
name= Wilfred Stanley (Wilf) Arthur
lived= 1919–2000
placeofbirth=Sydney ,New South Wales
placeofdeath=
caption= Wilf Arthur, 1941
nickname= "Woof"
allegiance= flagicon|AustraliaAustralia
serviceyears= 1939–1946
rank=Group Captain
branch=
commands= No. 75 Squadron (1943)
No. 2 OTU (1944)
No. 81 Wing (1944–45)
No. 78 Wing (1945–46)
unit=No. 3 Squadron (1940–41)
No. 76 Squadron (1942–43)
battles=World War II
*North African Campaign
* South West Pacific theatre
*Battle of Milne Bay
*Battle of Tarakan
awards=Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Flying CrossMentioned in Despatches (2)
laterwork=Wilfred Stanley (Wilf) Arthur DSO, DFC (7 December 1919 – 2000) was an
Australia n fighter ace ofWorld War II . He is officially credited with shooting down 10 enemy aircraft. At 24, Arthur was the youngestGroup Captain in the history of theRoyal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He also played a leading part in – and gave name to – the "Morotai Mutiny " of 1945. He was commonly known as "Woof",Alexander, "Cleaning the augean stables"] Newton, "Clash of Eagles", p.59] and sometimes "Wolf" or "Wulf". [Waters, "Valiant Youth", extract cited at [http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/wilfarthur.htm 3 Squadron Association Official Site] . Retrieved on11 October 2007 .] Wilson, "The Brotherhood of Airmen", pp.81,127]Early life
Arthur was born in
Sydney , the son of a stock inspector fromGoondiwindi, Queensland , near theNew South Wales border. His early schooling was at Yelarbon, to which he commuted on horseback. Later he attended The Scots College in Warwick.Herington, [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories/28/chapters/03.pdf "Air War Against Germany and Italy", p.63] ] Wilfred Arthur, 75 Squadron RAAF, interviewed by Edward Stokes]World War II
North Africa
Arthur was 19 years old and still at The Scots College when he joined the RAAF on 4 September 1939, the day after Australia declared war on Germany.Wilson, "Seek and Strike", p.95] He was commissioned a
Pilot Officer and served initially with No. 22 Squadron.Citation for Distinguished Flying Cross]Quote_box
width=28%
align=left
quote="I think you'd have to be bloody stupid if you were not afraid. Of course, the situation is that you're so busy in combat that ... you get involved in what's happening and that's - that occupies the mind wonderfully..."
source=Wilfred Arthur |In 1940Flying Officer Arthur was posted to No. 3 Squadron in North Africa. Piloting aGloster Gladiator biplane , he scored his first victory by shooting down an ItalianFiat CR.42 north-west of Sofali on 12 December 1940. [Newton, "Clash of Eagles", p.49] The next day he himself was shot down by a CR.42, and had to bail out.Promoted to
Flight Lieutenant , Arthur was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for destroying four enemy aircraft in a single engagement near Bir El Gubi on 30 November 1941. Flying a P-40 Tomahawk, he claimed two JU87 Stukas, oneFiat G.50 and one Macchi MC.200.Arthur met his future wife, Lucille, in
Alexandria . They married on 24 December 1941 and honeymooned inPalestine andSyria .outh-West Pacific
Posted to the Pacific, Arthur flew P-40 Kittyhawks with No. 76 Squadron in
New Guinea from April 1942 to January 1943. He was then promotedSquadron Leader and madeCommanding Officer of No. 75 Squadron. [Odgers, [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories/27/chapters/02.pdf "Air War Against Japan", p.23] ]Arthur was awarded the
Distinguished Service Order for his actions on 14 April 1943. Despite his guns having jammed, he led 34 Allied aircraft, including Kittyhawks of 75 and 77 Squadrons andP-38 Lightning s of theUSAAF , to intercept 100 Japanese raiders overMilne Bay . [Odgers, "The Royal Australian Air Force", p.103] The plane he flew, a Kittyhawk named "Polly", later went on display at theAustralian War Memorial ,Canberra . [ [http://www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/kittyhawk/index.htm Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk A29-133, "Polly", on display in Bradbury Aircraft Hall] at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on11 October 2007 .] Arthur described the situation of being in combat without armament as "sort of awkward. Fortunately nobody else would know except me." He was promoted Acting Wing Commander in June and appointed Wing Leader of No. 71 Wing.On 5 November 1943 Arthur was involved in a collision at
Kiriwina Airfield with a Spitfire of No. 79 Squadron. The Spitfire pilot was killed, and Arthur received serious burns. [Odgers, [http://www.awm.gov.au/cms_images/histories/27/chapters/06.pdf "Air War Against Japan", p.96] ] He was repatriated to Sydney where he underwentplastic surgery at Yaralla Military Hospital (now Concord Hospital). After his recovery in April 1944, Arthur attended the RAAF Staff School for three months before taking over command of No. 2 Operational Training Unit. In August, at the age of 24, Arthur was promoted temporaryGroup Captain , the youngest in the RAAF. That December he becameOfficer Commanding No. 81 Wing of theAustralian First Tactical Air Force (1TAF) in theDutch East Indies .RAAF Biographical Files]Quote_box
width=28%
align=left
quote="I knew I'd wreck any air force career ... but I couldn't face up to people getting killed when there was no bloody reason to."
source=Wilfred Arthur, on his part in the "Morotai Mutiny" |In April 1945, having recently assumed command of 1TAF's No. 78 Wing, Arthur helped bring about the "Morotai Mutiny "; he had coined the term himself in an "aide memoire". Arthur was one of eight senior pilots, including Australia's top-scoring ace, Group CaptainClive Caldwell , who attempted to resign their commissions in protest at the relegation of RAAF fighter squadrons to apparently worthless ground attack missions. He later said that his object was to "make as big a fuss as I possibly could with the object of getting the position corrected." An inquiry cleared the pilots, finding their motives in tendering their resignations to be sincere.Stephens, "The Royal Australian Air Force", pp.123-124] Arthur remained in command of No. 78 Wing, leading it during the Battle of Tarakan in May 1945.In addition to receiving the DFC and DSO, Arthur was twice
Mentioned in Dispatches . [ [http://www.awm.gov.au/honours/honours/person.asp?p=565 Honours and awards (gazetted): Wilfred Stanley Arthur] at Australian War Memorial. Retrieved on1 November 2007 .] His official final tally of victories was 10 enemy aircraft destroyed. [Odgers, "The Royal Australian Air Force", p.125]Later life
Arthur discharged from the RAAF on 14 February 1946, and took up residence in
Darwin, Northern Territory . [World War 2 Nominal Roll] He worked with theAustralian School of Pacific Administration , after which he travelled toVietnam to establish dairy farms under theColombo Plan . Returning to Australia, he was administration manager for Geopeko, the exploration unit responsible for discovering the Ranger uranium deposit at Jabiru. He died in 2000.Notes
References
*cite web|last= Alexander | first= Kristen |year= 2004 | title= "Cleaning the augean stables". The Morotai Mutiny? | work=Sabretache | publisher= Military Historical Society of Australia | url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/%22Cleaning+the+augean+stables.%22+The+Morotai+Mutiny%3F-a0123162109
*Cite conference | last = Arthur | first = Wilfred | coauthors=Stokes, Ed | title =Wilfred Arthur, 75 Squadron RAAF, interviewed by Edward Stokes | booktitle=The Keith Murdoch Sound Archive of Australia in the War of 1939-45 | date =16 August 1989 | publisher =Australian War Memorial | id = S00731
*Commonwealth of Australia (1942). "Distinguished Flying Cross: Flight Lieutenant W S Arthur, 3 Squadron, RAAF". Australian War Memorial. REL27812.002.
*Commonwealth of Australia (1943). "Distinguished Service Order: Squadron Leader W S Arthur, 75 Squadron, RAAF". Australian War Memorial. REL27812.001.
*Commonwealth of Australia (1988). "Arthur Wilfred Stanley 565". RAAF Biographical Files, Australian War Memorial. AWM65.
*Commonwealth of Australia (2002). [http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1039404 "Arthur, Wilfred Stanley"] . World War 2 Nominal Roll.
*cite book|last=Herington | first=John |year=1954| title=Australia in the War of 1939-1945: Series Three (Air) Volume III – Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial|url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=28 | isbn=
*cite book|last= Newton | first=Dennis |year=1996| title= Clash of Eagles | location= Kenthurst, NSW | publisher= Kangaroo Press |isbn=0864177933
*cite book|last=Odgers | first=George |origyear=1957| year=1968| title=Australia in the War of 1939-1945: Series Three (Air) Volume II – Air War Against Japan 1943-45 | location=Canberra| publisher=Australian War Memorial| url=http://www.awm.gov.au/histories/chapter.asp?volume=27| isbn=
*cite book|last=Odgers| first=George|year=1984| title=The Royal Australian Air Force: An Illustrated History| location=Brookvale, NSW| publisher=Child & Henry |isbn=0867773685
*cite book|last=Stephens| first=Alan|origyear=2001|year=2006| title=The Royal Australian Air Force: A History|location=London| publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0195555414
*cite book|last=Wilson| first=David|year=2002| title=Seek and Strike: 75 Squadron RAAF 1942-2002| location=Maryborough, Qld| publisher=Banner|isbn=1875593233
*cite book|last=Wilson| first=David|year=2005| title=The Brotherhood of Airmen| location=Crows Nest, NSW| publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=1741143330
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