Ernest Ronald William Oliver

Ernest Ronald William Oliver

Personal Information
Date of Birth	21 Jan 1918
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	24 Feb 1945
Place of Death	Germany
Age at Enlistment	24 years, 5 months
Occupation	Clerk
Religion	Church of England
Next of Kin	Wife , Mrs Evelyn Oliver
Military Information
Reg Number	427542
Date of Enlistment	19 Jul 1942
Rank	Warrant Officer
Unit/Formation	No. 462 Squadron RAF
Post War Details
Fate	KIA Aerial Battle over Germany
Australian War Memorial	Australian War Memorial
Medals	1939-45 Star France and Germany Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Pre War

On 11 Nov 1939 Ernie married Evelyn Frazer in Perth.

War Service

Mustered as an Aircraftsman level 2, Air Crew V on enlistment at the No. 4 Recruiting Centre Perth on 19 Jul 1942. Posted to No 5 Initial Training School at Pearce airbase for evaluation, re-mustering twice while there, first on 8 Sep 1942 as Air Crew V (Observer) and secondly as Air Crew II (Observer) on 10 Oct 1942. Promoted to Leading Aircraftsman Ernie was then posted to the No. 2 Air Observers School at Mount Gambier in South Australia on 15 Oct 1942. Daughter Janice Kaye was born in his absence on 23 Nov 1942.

Posted next to the No 2 Bombing and Air Gunnery School at Port Pirie, SA on 9 Jan 1943, he participated in the first part of No 30 Observer's Course. This was followed by a posting to the No. 2 Air Navigation School at Nhill in Victoria where he completed the second part of the course and on 4 Mar 1943 he was awarded his Air Observer's badge. On 8 Mar 1943, still at 2ANS, he commenced the No 30 Navigator's Course and on successful completion he was re-mustered Navigator (Bombers) on 1 Apr 1943. On the completion of the last of these course he was posted on 15 Apr 1943 to the No 5 Embarkation Depot in Subiaco for embarkation leave before returning east to the No 2 Embarkation Depot in Bradfield Park on 16 May 1943, followed by No 1 Embarkation Depot at Ascot Vale on 27 May 1943.

On 3 Jun 1943 he embarked on a ship in Melbourne with other members of the Empire Air training Scheme, disembarking in Vancouver, Canada on 25 Jun 1943. Travelled by rail to the Royal Canadian Airforce base in Edmonton where he trained from 25 Jun to 23 Jul 1943, moving on 24 Jul 1943 to their No 1 General Reconnaissance School for further training until 13 Sep 1943. He required medical attention from 19 - 25 Aug 1943. On 13 Sep 1943 Ernie was posted to an embarkation depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia to await a ship. On 1 Oct 1943 Ernie was promoted Flight Sergeant, and on 7 Oct 1943 he embarked in Halifax for the UK where he arrived on 16 Oct 1943. He entered the No 11 Personnel Depot & Receiving Centre. From the PRC those destined for Bomber Command went to pre-squadron training. From 23 Feb until 6 Mar 1944 Ernie received medical attention for an unknown issue.

At No 6. Advanced Flying Unit from 21 Mar 1944 until 5 Jun 1944, and then from 6 Jun 1944 until 7 Sep 1944 at No. 27 Operational Training Unit Litchfield, , Ernie began learning the difference between plotting courses in the open spaces of the Canadian prairies and in the mist, rain and low clouds of Britain. Ernie had spent a part of this time hospitalised in the 182 General Hospital at Sudbury in Derbyshire from 20 - 26 Aug 1944. On 8 Sep 1944 he was posted to No 41 Base, and promoted to acting Warrant Officer on 1 Oct 1944. Moved again, this time to No. 74 Base on 1 Nov 1944

On 30 Jan 1945 he was posted to the No.462 Squadron which at that time was based at RAF Foulsham, in east Anglia, flying Handley Page Halifax B.Mk.III bombers that were modified to carry radar jamming devices and other countermeasures. They conducted diversionary attacks to take German attention away from the primary targets. Less than a month later, Ernie was a crew member of an aircraft that crashed in Germany, killing all aboard during a raid on German targets.

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  Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany
• 

  Ernest Oliver's grave location

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