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Spitfire Biography

FLTLT John Derek Rumbold 408794

Squadron/s79 SQN
Rank On Discharge/Death Flight Lieutenant (FLTLT)
NicknameDerek
Mustering / SpecialisationPilot
Contributing Author/sCompiled by Vince Conant
2016
The Spitfire Association


"Derek's Memoirs of the War Years" by Flight Lieutenant John Derek Rumbold. Manuscript detailing his training in Australia before being posted with the 76 Squadron. He was sent to New Guinea and spent time at Milne Bay. He was sent to Darwin to defend against the Japanese and then to Moratai before the war ended.

Aircraft Record

A58-489 LF.VIII MT509

Rec 3AD ex UK 04/07/44.Allocated 6AD for temporary storage 30/08/44. Rec 6AD 06/10/44. Allocated 79 Sqn RAAF 01/11/44. Rec 79 Sqn RAAF 06/12/44. Rec 6AD ex 79 Sqn RAAF 15/01/45. Rec 79 Sqn RAAF and Coded UP-L 23/03/45. Damaged slightly by enemy AA Fire 1430 hrs 10/05/45 to starboard mainplane over Doro Village. Pilot, F/Lt J D Rumbold Serv#408704 not injured. Rec 9RSU 15/05/45. Post war accident 0930hrs 22/09/45 when aircraft, now coded as UP-E, was flying low over Galela Lake piloted by W/O C W Leahy Serv#431683. Aircraft's airscrew struck water with the aircraft breaking up on contact and sinking.



Learn more about the squadron/s in which John served.

79 SQN

79 Squadron was formed at Laverton, Victoria, on 26 April 1943. The squadron received its first Spitfire VC aircraft a month later, when it was ordered to deploy to Goodenough I...

(Read more about 79 SQN)
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