Thomas Hobgen – chronology

1920
29 Dec
born Toowoomba Queensland Australia
1922   02 Apl brother John born (in Chester, UK)
1934-36 pupil at Southport State School
1936-37  pupil at Queensland Tutorial College
11 Nov passed Junior Public Examinatio
1937 - Jan pupil at Toowoomba Grammar School  spent one year in School Cadets  played football cricket tennis swimming shooting and Rugby
04 Dec left Toowoomba Grammar School 
1938   
30 Jan
pupil at Gatton Agricultural College  spent one year in 1st Mobile Vetenary Section
Sep left Gatton Agricultural College
1939-40 Junior Officer, Fairymead Sugar Company, later an engineer’s assistant, Amity Resorts & Cruises Company, motor vessel ‘Lookout
1940 Traffic offence (stop sign)
02 May Joins Royal Australian Air Force at Brisbane
16 Aug  3 Recruiting Centre  Brisbane  rank of ACII
19 Aug 2 Initial Training School  Bradfield Park Sydney
12 Oct 5 days special leave
17 Oct 2 Elementary Flying Training School  Archerfield (Brisbane Airport) flying Tiger Moths and Gipsy Moths  rank of LAC
22 Dec  2 Initial Training School  Bradfield Park Sydney
1941  
04 Jan
Embarkation Depot  Bradfield Park Sydney  and 12 days leave
20 Jan embarked for Canada
16 Feb Air Observers School  Edmonton Alberta  flew total of 55 hours 55 minutes
28 Feb in hospital though 03 Marc
17 May  Composite School  Trenton Ontario  a re-assement unit for Observers
28 May remustered as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
11 June 7 days leave
23 June Wireless School  Montreal Quebec
06 Dec Bombing and Gunnery School  Fingal Ontario, near Lake Erie
1942
06 Jan
awarded Air Gunners Badge  rank of Sergeant
06 Jan 1 “Y” Depot  Halifax Nova Scotia
  3 “Y” Depot  Debert Nova Scotia
  9 days leave
15 Jan absent without leave 19 hours 1 minute, forfeited one days pay
24 Jan embarked for UK
10 Feb 3 Personnel Reception Centre  Royal Bath Hotel Bournemouth
11 Mar  1 Signals School  Cranwell Lincolnshire
11 Apl  absent from two instruction periods, severely reprimanded
21 Apl   not paying attention during Morse class, reprimanded
28 Apl   27 Operational Training Unit  Lichfield Staffordshire  flying Wellingtons
05 May  brother John serving with 12 Squadron killed, raid on Warnemünde. Buried  Kirkeby Cemetery, Roem Island, Denmark
09 Jly 9 days leave
17 Jly 460 Squadron
21 Jly  attacked Duisburg light damage from flak
27 Jly  sea search for missing aircraft nothing found
29 Jly  attacked Saarbrucken unable to locate target
04 Aug missing, death presumed
   
   
  On enlistment: height 5 feet 11½ 
  chest 32/36  hair auburn  eyes blue
  complexion fresh   weight 11stone 7 pounds
  single  Church of England
Medal entitlements:
Air Gunners Badge
  1939/45 star
  Aircrew Europe Star
  Defence Medal
  War Medal 1935/45

www.toowongwest.org.au

18 November 2004