The Family History Writing Challenge – My Wedding Day part 2

Signing the Marriage Register

Over the last week or so The Family History Writing Challenge has been discussing scene and summary, the difference between the two, and how to make the most of both.  We have also learned about the “story middle” and how to create tension and interest through the finding of obstacles, how to transition from a crisis point where the person in the story reaches their lowest point, to the climax where the person in the story regroups and finds the strength to overcome the obstacles and move forward.  I have tried to apply this format to the story of my wedding day by:

• Using scene and summary to transition from one home to another
• Using dialogue between major characters on the day to create the first obstacle
• Using scene and dialogue to increase the tension of an additional obstacle

Here is what I have come up with for the “middle” of my story.  Although I am of the opinion that it still needs some work, I am wanting to move forward to the next phase, so will come back to this passage during the editing process.

As I walked into my in-laws house I was immediately struck by the chaotic racket and bustle within. There were people in every room, all talking at once in excited tones. Hairstyles were being created in the main bedroom, the lounge room was a meeting place for all manner of women having their makeup done, Noelene was lovingly pressing my bridal gown in the kitchen, and seated at the dining room table were four hefty groomsmen hungrily devouring a large tray of freshly made sandwiches. The rooms were filled with the heady scent of summer and feminine perfumes.

“Julie, I think we’ve got a problem with the bridesmaids hairstyles,” my sister Kellie said as she guided me into the bedroom.

“Gen, what have you done to your hair?” Words failed me as I stood in front of Gen, appalled at the sight of what she had done to herself.

“I told you I didn’t want to wear my hair that way, so I had it cut off!” Genevieve declared.

“But you’ve got a crew cut. Suzie won’t be able to do anything at all with that,” I wailed.

I turned and walked from the room just as the tears started to well. How could Gen cut her hair so short the morning of my wedding? All three other bridesmaids had shoulder length hair that had been prettily flicked from their faces in the Farrah Fawcett-Majors, devil-may-care style which was all the rage.

Genevieve had been a friend for the previous 10 months and we had shared funny moments and tears in that time.  Gen was a dressmaking and millinery teacher at the local TAFE College and she was to have made the bridesmaids dresses, but when there had been no calls for fittings I had started to worry.  Just four short weeks out from my wedding day she had let me know that she had changed her mind about making the dresses.  I had come face to face with the realisation that Gen had not been the friend that I had thought she was, and I was left with the mammoth task of finding four bridesmaids dresses in my favourite apricot tones that would be available for hire. 

I stood in the middle of the stuffy lounge room, shocked to the core that Gen would let me down yet again!

Terry watched helplessly as the tears trickle down my cheeks.  He gave me a cuddle and then quietly and gently said “Jules, someone’s stolen all the car decorations”.  I just stood in the lounge room, gaping at him.

“Who the hell would do something like that?” I howled. Tears flowed in earnest now, coursing their way over cheeks and chin. All I could think of in that split second was that my wedding day was disintegrating around me.  Firstly, a wayward bridesmaid that I was sure had managed to ruin my idea of how the wedding photos should look, and now there were five bridal cars  sitting outside the house with no decoration. I truly believed my wedding day was in chaos, and just an hour before we were due at the church. Tears flowed, and I was so panicked I could hardly breath, when my gorgeous sister Kellie put her arms around my shoulders and whispered “I think I can fix this.”

I stood gazing at her in disbelief as Kellie spent precious minutes telephoning her recently married friend to see if she still had the decorations from her wedding day. As luck would have it she not only had the ribbon, tulle and flowers, but also a tulle swan for the bridal car.

“Julie you have to finishing getting ready or you will be way to late to the church!  I’ll go with Terry to get the decorations and be back in no time at all”, Kellie promised.

Glenn Di Salvia – Interview Part 2

The ….. Event 18 Dec 2015

In the second part of our interview with Glenn Di Salvia he talks about riding and white water rafting in some of the world’s most rugged, and yet spectacular places. Follow his journeys with me as he rides through France, and competes in Tasmania…. 

What are the two most interesting competitions that you have been entered in and did they involve travel either within or outside Australia?

Since deciding in 2008 that I wanted to get a bit fitter I never imagined where it would take me, or the things I would accomplish. I would have to say that 2012 has been the highlight of the last 7 years!

In July of 2012 I flew to France with my bike and about 16 other cyclists from my bike club, Sydney and Newcastle. We spent 8 days in the French Alps staying at Alpe d’Huez and riding every day. We rode down into the valley below us and up into a different area each day climbing different mountains. Our toughest day on the bike was when we rode up one mountain then another behind it to Col du Galibier, climbing nearly 3000m in 45km. It was the middle of summer with temperatures in the mid 30’s in the valley, but windy and freezing up the top of the mountain and with snow along the road. It was a fun and fast 50km ride back to the starting point which was mostly all downhill. We watched the Tour de France on television most afternoons and rode out to one of the mountains to watch the Tour and see the riders come up the mountain and past us – that was pretty awesome!

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Photograph Descriptions: 

1.  On our Way – On our way to see a stage of the Tour in the mountains. We rode up into the mountains then followed the river below us for maybe 10-15km then up this next climb, some stunning views along the way. 

2.  Finally at the top – We rode about 60km to get here, people getting their spots along the road waiting for the riders to come through in around 3hrs time.

3.  Team Sky Riders – Tasmanian Richie Porte leading Tour winner Bradley Wiggins, in yellow. 

4.  Villages – There is a village on the edge of the mountain just left of centre of the photo which we rode through a few times. Another small village across to the right just slightly higher, then another above that which is Alpe d’Huez where we stayed for 8 nights. You can see the road which zig zags 14km up the mountain from the valley below, we rode up this numerous times. 

5.  Finally – Finally at the top of one of the famous climbs in the French Pyrenees. 

6.  Rural France – A unique little village we rode though in the lower drier region of rural France. We spent 3 nights in Carpentras.

From the Alps we drove to a rural area for 3 days of riding, and then south to the Pyrenees for 10 days. More days spent riding different mountains with tough climbs and amazing scenery. Looking at the stunning scenery helps take your mind off the pain your legs are going through on the long climbs. The rides weren’t overly long, 80 to 120km, but with the amount of climbing done it was tough.  After 21 days of riding and 1,830km with 32,335metres of elevation my legs were pleased to pack the bike away.

Then in November of 2012 my team mates Christophe, Eric and I were sponsored by Rexona to compete in the 5 day Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge and our team name was “Rexona No Quit”. Our entry was paid ($9500) and flights to Launceston with return from Hobart. This challenge included a lot of training in the months leading up to the event.  Day1 which was 27^th Nov 2012, was around Launceston starting with a run/rogaine followed by white water rafting, a mountain bike ride, a kayak paddle, another mountain bike leg, finishing in Launceston with another run.  This was done in 8hr and 40min.  All this was done whilst navigating our way around by map and collecting 67 Check Points!

White Water Rafting Section of Day One in Swisse Mark Webber Tasmania Challenge

Day 2 was very long with just over 11hrs of racing which included a tough 22km climb on the mountain bike to the top of the mountain in Ben Lomond National Park, followed by a 25-30km run around the top of the mountain – which was much tougher than expected – followed by another long mountain bike leg, 12km kayak paddle down the river, then another 7km run to the finish. We covered around 90km again and moved up into 2nd position on this day.

Glenn On A Run

The next 2 days were on the East Coast of Tasmania, around St Marys and Binnalong Bay.  There were a few ocean paddles and some snorkelling that was added at this point, which was on top of the normal legs. The final day – the 5th – was held at Hobart with a cold 4 degrees C start on top of Mt Wellington.  It was a great day of racing which we finished in only 7hrs to retain our position in 3^rd place.  We were only 9min ahead of team “Qantas” from Singapore and around 5hrs behind team “Rexona” which had Olympic kayaker Ken Wallace and World Champion Triathlete Courtney Atkinson competing.

Ben Lomond National Park Mountain Bike Track

It was a tough 5 days covering around 400km and with many highs and lows. We met a lot of great people, formed a few new friendships and enjoyed rubbing shoulders with various Olympic and World Champion athletes.

Of course, we were absolutely stoked with our achievement and surprised we did so well. There is a lot of tactics involved in these events though with marking out our route each night as the course is not marked, not taking a wrong turn or missing a Check Point which would incur a 3 hr penalty per Check Point missed.  We were presented with our trophy by Mark Webber at the presentation night.

Presentation Night. l to R: Eric Charpentier, Glenn Di Salvia, Mark Webber (Formula 1 World Champ), Christophe Capel

Sources:

Gary White Photography

Glenn Di Salvia – Interview Part 1

18 Dec 2015

Glenn Roy Di Salvia is my nephew, the son of my brother Douglas Norman Di Salvia.  Glenn was born in Walget, New South Wales on 2 Sept 1970 making him 45 years old, and he has an interest (or as some of his family believe, an obsession) with the most unusual, physically demanding, exciting and challenging pastime I could possibly comprehend.  I often have trouble finding time to take a walk of a morning, but Glenn not only finds time to run, bike ride and kayak but enjoys both the fitness it brings, and the competitions he enters!  The interview with Glenn will be told as a three part series due to the wonderful way in which he opened up to answering my questions, and the sheer adventure I experienced in putting the interview together.  Enjoy!……

1. How did you become interested in bike riding and when did you start to go into competitions.

I first learnt to ride a bike at my cousin Roberts farm  near Narromine when I was about 7-8 years old . After about six months I finally convinced mum & dad to buy me a dragster bike which I got for Christmas and loved. I would ride it everywhere and spent a lot of time working on it to keep it in good order.

I got a road bike in my mid-teens and rode to school frequently. Some Sundays I would ride with a few of my mates up to 20km out of Narromine to various friends’ farms for the day and then return home before it got dark. Once I got my licence though, riding my bike faded into the background as I focused on cars.

In 1992-93 Scott, the apprentice  who was employed where I was working in Marrickville, Sydney, was a keen cyclist and a member of St. George Cycling Club and I credit him with getting me back into cycling.  My bike had been stolen from Wentworthville Police station a few years earlier even though I’d had it chained to the fence, but Scott got me a second hand bike for $150.  In an attempt to get fit I would combined riding the train with riding around 15 km on my bike each way and after a while I started riding the full 35km home from work. Once in a while I would join Scott for an afternoon ride.

After about 12-18 months of riding, the bike faded into the background once again when I met Jodi and started a new job.

When my dad passed away in 2008 I decided I wanted to get a bit fitter so I started walking about 3 kms to work.  It was then time to pull out the old bike that had been getting rusty, and clean it up.  I started riding to work and doing a 6-10km loop home, which was hard work after not riding for so long.  Gradually I did longer rides, including a 30-40km ride on Sunday mornings. I also added a few 3km runs a week.

In October 2008 I was introduced to the Central Coast Cycling Club at Wyong. This is where my cycling & fitness became a lifestyle, or, as Jodi called it –  “an obsession” . I loved the racing and weekend rides with the club. In December of 2008 I bought a flash new carbon fibre road bike. I spent a lot of time riding and training to become fitter and finally working my way up from ‘D’ grade to ‘B’ grade within the club.   Occasionally I raced in  ‘A’ grade as well.  Generally, I race most weekends. In the “summer season” is a Criterium on Friday afternoons which is a bike race consisting of multiple laps around a closed circuit of around 2km for 45-50min (30-35km). The “winter season” is a 50km hilly road race at Calga which is a short drive from Gosford on the western side of the freeway.  Occasionally I travel to Newcastle, Kurri Kurri or Northern Sydney to race on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning with the local clubs

I join up with friends some weekends for local mountain bike rides in the Watagan mountains with the occasional local race. I have done various mountain bike races around New South Wales and Canberra. The races vary from the standard 100km race, an 8hr enduro – which is multiple laps of a 10-12km circuit (I managed to finish in 2^nd place at one event which was a fantastic result, although I almost collapsed after getting off the bike), and a 24hr race in a team of 6 on a 10-12km circuit also.

2. Do you do any other type of sport beside bike riding?

I also enjoy doing a few other sports apart from riding, generally referred to as cross training.  I do quite a bit of running and a bit of kayaking. I did join a local canoe club a few years back competing in 10km races on Sunday mornings but it was clashing with cycling events so I dropped the kayak racing. The running & kayaking flows into other races I have done over the last 6-7 years.

I have competed in many Adventure Races (AR), Multi Sport and Rogaining or Orienteering events.  Rogaining is long distance cross-country navigation which involves both route planning and navigation between checkpoints using a topographic map and compass in a team of two. The short events are up to 6hrs but I generally compete in the 12 or 24hr events, covering 50-60km on foot, 1 or 2 times a year. It can be quite eerie and peaceful standing on top of a mountain overlooking the moonlit landscape at 2am, and not seeing another soul but knowing there are maybe 50 to 100 people out there navigating their way around the bush.

Adventure Races are an off-road style of triathlon in the bush. They involve mountain biking, trail running and kayaking, with an occasional swim. Checkpoints are collected on an unmarked course using a topographic map and compass. The standard race takes only around 3.5hr for the faster teams, with a cut off of 6hrs for the slower teams. I have finished in the top 10 many times with two 1^st places. I have also competed in several 24hr events which are great, but tough.

Multi-Sport races are more similar to a triathlon. They are a fixed course of 33km road ride, 12km kayak and 15km trail run with some tough hills.

3.  What Sort Of Training Regimen Do You Follow?

During the week I try to fit in regular training. On a current typical week I aim to ride to work 2-3 times with an occasional run or two.

Monday is generally a rest day, after a busy weekend of riding.

Tuesday & Wednesday I usually ride to work, which is 90-100km return depending on which route I take.

Thursday I may have a rest day or run to work, using the train to cover part of the distance, and home again which is 20-23km return trip.

Friday I ride to work. After work I ride a short distance, 15km, to Wyong to race in the local Criterium Race.

Depending on the weather I tend to swap riding & rest days around if a high chance of rain is forecast or raining in the morning, or run if it’s raining a little. Although I have been caught out plenty of times, riding home in showers or heavy rain and storms with strong winds & lightning about.

On Saturday mornings I enjoy going out in the kayak on Lake Macquarie for an hour doing a 10-12km paddle and maybe an easy 40-50km ride in the afternoon. Or I will meet up with some local riders for an easy/steady 80-100km ride.

Sunday I usually meet up with local riders for a longer ride of 100-130km at a faster pace for a pretty good workout. Occasionally we will do a big ride, up to 160km, up through Newcastle or head west through Cessnock and the Hunter region.

Depending on what race I’m training for, Sunday mornings can be busy with a 30-50km road ride or 20km MTB ride, 12km paddle and 10km run (about 3.5hrs) or longer if building for a 24hr event.

The Family History Writing Challenge – My Wedding Day

Goodness me –  how things can go wrong in the blink of and eye!!  I have been unable to really participate in this challenge as on the evening of 2 Feb my computer “went on holiday”.  It has been in the repair shop until yesterday evening, but even now, there are still programs that I can’t access – important ones like Windows Live Mail and Windows Live Writer and other Windows related programs, and it will be going for another “operation” later today!

The single “Daily Dose” that I have received so far was about Cooking Up A Satisfying Scene, and so I got to work on writing the opening scene of my wedding day.  I was quietly happy with it and posted it to the forum for comment,  looking forward to hearing how others found my work.  When I logged in first thing this morning I found two people had made suggestions on how to better my opening scene.  Needless to say I went straight to work on reviewing my writing.  I went back over the information within the ‘Daily Dose” and took the instructions more literally, re-writing and lengthening my opening scene, and following the scene with a more relevant summary, and I feel much happier with the beginning of my story.

By all means, let me know what you think.

Second Draft:

“Can’t you shut those birds up?”

Suzie lay face down on her pillow as soft morning light poured through the window and a cacophony of beautiful Australian birdsong woke my best friend.  She was a city girl and completely unused to the daybreak noise of Aussie birdlife which was abundant in the tree’s around my flat in Piper Street.  “Wake up Suzie, it’s my wedding day!” I yelled as I shook her fully awake.

Suzie and I had been best friends from the day we started kindergarten together. We skipped, walked and ran to and from school, had fights with the boys from up the road, climbed the mulberry tree and took our fill of those luscious berries, shared laughter, good times and secrets, and had tea parties in my cubby house.

Life with Suzie was never dull, but I was fully aware that she struggled with mornings – so I took coffee into her, just to help ease the pain of getting out of bed!

November 1, 1980 dawned clear and fresh. A hot wind was blowing and it promised to be a scorcher of a day. As I sat on Suzie’s bed drinking coffee that morning I could barely sit still with the excitement that coursed through every fibre of my being. “So, how do you think you’ll do my hair?” I asked. Suzie was the best hairdresser I knew and I was dying to find out what she had planned for me, as well as my bridesmaids.

Just a few hours later I sat on a chair in the middle of my small kitchen as Suzie pinned the veil beneath a fall of soft curls, which she had painstakingly created.  “Okay, now you can look”, she said as she led me into my bedroom. There I stood in front of my dressing table mirror, with my hair softly piled high, staring at the gentle fall of the tulle of my waist length veil. My fingers caressed the stunning creamy lace and the thought of all the women who had worn the veil before me brought a lump to my throat.

As Suzie played with the fall of the veil I related the story of how it had originally been made for my grandmother, Ines Maude Smith, in 1908.  My mother, Madeleine Ines Bailey, had worn that same stunning, cathedral length veil in June of 1935. By the time my eldest sister Noeleen wanted to wear this precious heirloom in Aug 1960 the tulle had disintegrated in places. Noelene’s dressmaking skills were amply displayed as she lovingly transferred the lace, cream with age, on to waist length tulle for a more modern bridal veil. This frothy veil creation was worn again in August 1964 by my next sister Gwen.

Sixteen years later I wanted to carry on the family tradition of wearing “Granma’s veil”, so yet again Noeleen’s fingers worked magic by transferring the lace onto the off white tulle I had chosen.  My something borrowed was a treasure from the past.

Some of the lacework on my veil can be seen in the photograph below.

Let the Celebration Begin

The Wreck Of The Adolphe

Postcard of the Wreck Of The Adolphe

One of the postcards in my grandfather collection (Edward Thomas Bailey) was of the barque “Adolphe” and it caught my eye the other day.  I decided to Google the “Adolphe” and see what I could find out.  What I found was and incredible story!  I am continually amazed at what I learn each and every time I look at Grandad’s Postcard Collection.

On Friday, 30 Sept 1904, a mere 111 years ago, the barque “Adolphe” was being towed into the Newcastle Harbour by two tug boats.  The ship had just completed an 85 day journey from Antwerp.  The tug boats were unable to pull her safely into port though, and heavy seas landed her on top of other submerged wrecks in the harbour in Newcastle, New South Wales, on what was then called “the oyster bank”.

It took 2 hours for rescuers to safely transport all 32 crew to shore, with no loss of life.

The breakwater at Newcastle Harbour was extended after the loss of the “Adolphe” and in 1906, when the break wall reached the Adolphe, her remaining 2 masts were removed for safety reasons.  The “Adolphe” rests on top of the wrecked SS Wendourie (1898), and the SS Lindus (1899).

Wreck of the Adolph on Stockton Break Wall

The following article appeared in the Newcastle Herald and Miner’s Advocate on Monday 3 Oct, 1904, page 5

THE ADOLPHE WRECK. There were no developments in connec- tion with the wrecked barque Adolphe on the Oyster Bank yesterday. The vessel re- mains in the same position as when she went aground. Mr. J. C. Reid, Consular Agent for France, and Captain Layec, master of the vessel, went on board yes- terday, and all of the ship’s papers, and the captain’s and crew’s effects were saved. Coxswain M’Kinnon, of the lifeboat, acted as pilot for the party. They boarded the vessel, and found the decks were all dry, and had very little trouble in getting what they wanted. The crew of the Adol- phe will probably leave Newcastle on Sat- urday, and proceed home to France in the F.M.S Caledonien, on Monday. Messrs. J. and A. Brown are advertising to-day for offers from persons willing to undertake salvage work in connection with the wreck. Captain M’Killiam, of the Aberdeen liner Damascus, speaking to a “Newcastle Herald” representative last night, referred to the work done by the lifeboat crew. He said it was magnificent work, and he thought it had never been excelled by any lifeboat crew. Nothing better could have been done by any lifeboat service. The coxswain and men ought to be rewarded for their heroice deeds. He was prepared to put his name on a subscription list to recognise such gallant services. The men risked a lot in doing what they did, and he hoped that they would not be forgotten. It was marvellous how they got the boat over the old wrecks, and saved all hands.

Sources:

Picture of the Wreck of the Adolphe on Stockton Wall: 

“Adolphe wreck1” by Mark McIntosh – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adolphe_wreck1.jpg#/media/File:Adolphe_wreck1.jpg

Information of Wreck of the Adolphe:

Trove Digistised Newspapers

Wikipedia

Wing Commander Kenneth Selby Brown

My Only Photo of
Kenneth Selby Brown

Kenneth Selby-Brown is the husband of my 1/2 cousin once removed, so his connection to me is actually quite distant, and only through marriage.  He not only had an incredibly interesting career but suffered heartbreaking lows in his personal life, so I believe he has earned his place in our family and should be remembered by all.

Kenneth was born in Surrey, England on 24 October 1909 in a house on Cheam Common Road in Cuddington, although the birth was not recorded until the December of that year.  As Kenneth was the fifth and last child born to his parents John Alexander and Theresa Beatrice nee: Rusbridge, he was welcomed quietly into the home and grew up playing with his older siblings.  He had three older brothers – John Selby Brown, Denis Selby Brown and Leslie Selby Brown and one sister Constance Margaret Brown.  You will note that all four male children carried the middle name of Selby and it must have carried a great significance for this family, but to date I have been unable to find the person that was the catalyst for the middle name of these children.

On 2 April 1911 Kenneth is listed as a two year old living with his parents in Wealdstone, Middlesex, England  but then there is no reference to him until an entry of arrival into Australia of  a Kenneth Brown who could be our Kenneth when he was about 17 years old, and he appears to have travelled here alone.  This is yet to be confirmed, however I can find no other entry that fits his birth.

In the Australian Electoral Rolls for Victoria in 1934 Kenneth is listed as Kenneth Selhy Brown c/- A. Terrill, Rutherglen, farm labourer.

By 1936 Kenneth is residing in Mildura, New South Wales and seems to have been involved in both labouring and mechanic work in that area.  It is intriguing that there is a Leslie Selby Brown living in the area at this time, but I have not proved a connection between the two men at this time.  It is possible though that the young Kenneth came to Australia to join his brother Leslie Selby Brown; I will have to do some more research to try to validate this point!

In 1937 Kenneth is  listed on the Australian Electoral Rolls as living at Commercial Street, Merbein, Victoria and working as a labourer.

It is in Mildura though that the we know that Kenneth met Barbara Alice Hitchins, the Australian Aviatrix. Barbara was grounded whilst she was made repairs to her Gypsy Moth plane in Mildura during 1937 but just how they became acquainted is not known.  After falling deeply in love Kenneth finally asked Barbara to marry him and their engagement was announced in newspapers across the country on 4 November 1938. Interestingly, all the articles in relation to the engagement state Kenneth’s name as Kenneth Brown or Kenneth Selby Brown.

I can imagine the excitement when Kenneth received a letter dated 30 Dec 1939 advising he’d been selected by the Air Board to “undergo a course of flying training for appointment either to a commission on probation with the rank of Pilot Officer or as an Airman Pilot with rank of Sergeant” dependant upon his success in the course.  Kenneth was required to report to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School at Mascot, New South Wales on Monday 8 Jan 1940 “in readiness to take up duty” as an Air Cadet.  Kenneth was recommended for a Flying Badge and for PASS of 67.84% on 25 May 1940 and by 30 Dec 1940 Kenneth had just managed to scrape through his Abridged Navigation Reconnaissance Course which was held in Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Kenneth Flew an Anson

From May 1941 to July 1941 Kenneth was posted in Darwin and undertook a “Short Astronomical Course”, which he failed.  The comments of the Officer conducting the course was ” Could possibly do better with coaching but failed in G. R. course – not considered suitable”.  It does not state what position Kenneth was not suited for however it had become evident that whilst Kenneth may have been good in the air, he was not and academic.

During the early part of October 1941 Kenneth took a Flying Instructors Course in which he received a PASS with 1456 points out of a possible 2000.  The general remarks on his Summary of Marks Obtained state ” Keen and confident.  Low marks in ground subjects due partly to illness during course.  Considered suitable as Pilot Navigation Instructor”.  The report was dated 16 Oct 1941.

With the outbreak of World War 2 Kenneth joined the Royal Australian Defence Force, and was stationed in Darwin as a pilot, flying to New Guinea and Borneo. He appears to have flown cargo planes which provided much needed food and munitions to the troops on the ground. Kenneth was commended on his efforts and received a citation for:

“From August, 1943, until the end of December 1943, whilst flying as captain of Dakota aircraft operating outside Australia, in New Guinea, and to islands north of New Guinea, Squadron Leader BROWN flew more than 130 sorties, both with and without fighter cover. 

Since January 1944, in addition to flying transports in operational areas, he has been engaged in the training of parachute troops and pilots for paratroop and supply dropping, during which he volunteered for and carried out a parachute jump.  Whilst carrying out this work, he has also been responsible for the training of many pilots for transport flying. 

Sqaudron Leader BROWN has proved to be a most competent and versatile pilot, and throughout his service totalling over 2,500 hours’ flying, has demonstrated a capacity for hard work and devotion to duty of the highest order.”

In 1943 Kenneth is listed in the Australian Electoral Rolls for the Northern Territory in Darwin, as a Pilot Officer.

Kenneth Flew Hawker Demons, Hudson Mk 1 & 2 and Kittyhawks

At some point after he joined the Air Force Kenneth’s surname appears to have been changed to Selby-Brown.  It had never been Selby-Brown except for one occasion when he notified his superiors of his marriage to Barbara Alice.  He had filled out all his induction papers as Kenneth Selby Brown and any correspondence relating to his professional performance was always addressed to Kenneth Selby Brown.  There is a possibility that the use of a hyphen in the surname came into play through his wife Barbara Alice. Certainly, Kenneth’s father and grandfather had the surname of Brown.

Kenneth was posted to Tamworth, New South Wales for a flying course from 25 Jan 1943 to 10 Feb 1943 where his record states the was “an average pilot who has shown considerable improvement”.

Kenneth and Barbara were very much in love when they got married in 1940 but the marriage was destined to be an incredibly unhappy one. They had one child together – John Alexander Selby-Brown b. 29 Apr 1943.  Kenneth’s work and physical stamina suffered quite badly from the effects of his marriage break down during the 1950’s and very early 1960’s, and this shows quite clearly in his Royal Australian Air Force Confidential Reports (performance reviews).  The reports initially seemed to have mixed thoughts on his performance ranging from Capable to Excellent, but as the years progressed, aligning with the deterioration of his personal life, the quality of his work plummeted and he was reportedly “unsuited to his position”.  From the accounts of his work written by his superiors Kenneth seems to have suffered with depression, and a tendency to drink heavily whilst off duty. Kenneth had always been just bright enough to get himself through exams, and was more of a “hands on” person than an academic, but between the years of 1940 to 1944 he had proved himself to be a valued and a somewhat gifted Air Force Pilot.  His fall from grace is heartbreaking for us to learn about however it would have been a nightmare for him to live though.

Sadly Wing Commander Kenneth Selby Brown died in a motor vehicle accident on 9 Feb 1963 and is buried at Rookwood Cemetery in an unmarked grave.

Wing Commander Rank Insignia

 

Wing Commander Rank Insignia: “RAAF O5 rank” by PalawanOz – Own work. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:RAAF_O5_rank.png#/media/File:RAAF_O5_rank.png

Picture – Hawker Demon:  http://www.3squadron.org.au/subpages/ValeSteege.htm

Picture – Kittyhawk:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/459648705691398848/

Picture – Hudson Mk1:  http://www.allworldwars.com/Friend-or-Foe-Aircraft-Identification-1940.html

Picture – Avro Anson:  http://uboat.net/allies/aircraft/anson.htm