Letter to Richard Donaldson from D Worrad

Letter to Richard Donaldson from D Worrad

Offers sympathy on loss of father David Donaldson who was Doug Worrad's commanding officer on 192 Squadron during world war 2. Tells of incidents with David Donaldson and of his own life. Would like to hear of David's life after the war.

2004-02-15

On page printed letter and envelope

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EWorradDKGrundyAF20040215

15 February, 2004
Dear Mr. Donaldson,
My name is Douglas Worrad and in the first place I wish to offer you and your family my deepest sympathy on the loss of your father, a truly great and admirable gentleman.
During the war I served as a pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force and after some additional training in England, with my crew of five English chaps and one other Australian, I was extremely fortunate to be posted to the RAF Squadron 192 in Foulsham, in Norfolk, and of which your father was the Commanding Officer. I was twenty one at that time and I thought your father was much older. Now I realise he was only twenty nine! One evening in the mess, it was about seven o'clock, and I had just taken a sip from a glass of beer, and he came up to me and said, “Are you flying tomorrow, Worrad?”. I said “Yes, Sir.” and he left me to it. I put the nearly full glass back on the bar and went straight to my room and bed. That was part of his style. He made his point, firmly, but without any embarrassment. An outstanding officer and very fine gentleman. I am very proud to have known him.
Shortly after completing a “tour of operations” with 192 Squadron and some leave in the U.K., I was posted back to Australia and the Pacific where the Japanese were still active. Shortly before I left England I married an English Wren. She is still putting up with me.
I have only hard some snippets of your father's career after the war, not necessarily accurate, and I would greatly appreciate it if you could find the time to fill me in. Did he stay on in the RAF for some time after the war, reaching the rank of Air Commodore? Was he elevated to a peerage? Was he widowed a long time? I am not going to write a book about him but I would like to know what happened to him “afterwards”.
Kindest regards,
Doug Worrad.
PS It was one of my old crew, the “bomb aimer”, who sent me a copy of the notice of your father's passing.