Pilot Officer Rawdon Hume (Ron) Middleton VC

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Patrick Bourke

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One of the names on the WW2 RAAF Memorial Wall at the Narromine Aviation Museum in NSW, which commemorates the service of RAAF servicemen who undertook their early pilot training at the Number 5 Elementary Flying Training School at Narromine during WW2, is Rawdon Hume Middleton VC. 

Rawdon Hume Middleton, known as Ron Middleton, was born on 22 July 1916 at Waverely in Sydney. He was the a great nephew of the explorer, Hamilton Hume. Middleton's family lived in the western districts of NSW. Rawdon Middleton went to school at the Gilgandra District School and the Dubbo High School. He was a good cricketer and tennis player and represented Dubbo High School in these sports. 

Rawdon Middleton was working as a jackeroo in the Parkes district when he enlisted in the RAAF on 14 October 1940 under the Empire Air Training Scheme. After completing his elementary flying training at Narromine, Middleton was sent to Canada for further flying training. 

In September 1941 after completing his training in Canada, Rawdon Middleton arrived in Britain. During February 1942, after being promoted to Flight Sergeant, he was posted to 149 Squadron, Royal Air Force, and started his operational career. 

On 28 November 1942 he took off on his 29th operation, to the Fiat works in Turin, Italy. During this night raid on Turin Middleton's Sterling bomber was damaged and it was soon running low on fuel. Also, Middleton and his second pilot were severely wounded. Despite his diminishing strength Middleton made the decision to return to England where five of his crew were able to parachute to safety. Not wanting to crash his badly damaged bomber into civilian buildings, Middleton unselfishly, with the assistance of two of his crew, piloted the bomber back over the English Channel where it crashed into the sea. The two crew members were able to parachute out of the aircraft over the English Channel but they drowned. Middleton remained at the controls of the Sterling bomber until it crashed into the sea. Rawdon Middleton's body was washed ashore at Dover on 1 February 1943. He was buried in the churchyard at St John's Beck's Row, Suffolk, with full military honours. 

Rawdon Middleton's bravery was recorded in the English Press and his efforts to save his crew was greatly admired by the general public. He was awarded a Victoria Cross (VC) , posthumously, for his actions on 28 and 29 November 1942. His commission as Pilot Officer was backdated to 15 November 1942.  Rawdon's father was quoted as saying, "My son did his duty". In 1978 Middleton's VC was presented to the Australian War Memorial.                            

                

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