Tom completed 21 years’ service in the Air Force.

After 2 years at Woodbourne where he completed Boy Entrant School and an Engine Mechanics course

Tom went to Whenuapai for a few months & then on to Lauthala Bay for 2 years.

He returned to Woodbourne in 1958 for a Fitters course.

He then proceeded to Ohakea where he was promoted to Corporal.

In 1961 he attended an Aircrew course and emerged as a Sergeant Flight Engineer and was posted to N°5 Flying Boat Squadron, Hobsonville.

1963-64 saw him operating on Sunderlands from Lauthala Bay.

Tom married in 1965 and 1966 saw him on a Lockheed P-3 Orion course at USN Moffett Field, California, with fellow ex Boy Entrant, Graham Corkill.

Tom & Graham participated in the delivery flight of the Orions.

He was promoted to Flight Sergeant in 1967 and was commissioned Flying Officer in 1969.

In 1972 he was posted to a ground job as an Instructor at Pilot Training School at Wigram, & promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

Retired in 1974 and spent 5 months in civvy street as a licensed Motor Mechanic.

Later that same year Tom was hired as a Flight Engineer by Air New Zealand and flew on DC-8’s until 1981 when he converted onto DC-10’s.

In 1987 he moved onto Boeing 747’s where he remained until retirement in 1990.

Tom has two sons and one daughter. One son is an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 pilot and the other a Boeing 737-300 pilot.

Tom’s one regret of 1953 was missing the end of year camp at Rainbow Valley due to double pneumonia.

Regards

Gary Sommerville.