Tribute from Alex Culvenor
Stan Middleton
Born in Warragul, Vic, Stan attended school at Bunyip from Jan 1927 to 1935, walking from his parent’s dairy farm at Labertouche, and never missed a day. The farm provided the opportunity for hunting rabbits for pocket money and, like most farm boys then, Stan was a good shot. His first job was with the Victorian Railways and, at Auburn station, collecting tickets, he met his future wife, Marjory Harris.
Stan joined the RAAF in December 1941 and trained as a wireless mechanic in Course No 8 at Melbourne Technical College then as a radar mechanic on Course No 25G at Richmond NSW, graduating on 3 Jan 1942. His first operational posting was to No 306 Radar Station at Bulolo, PNG for a short period before moving to No 50 Radar Station at Dobodura at the end of March 1943. 50RS moved from Dobodura to Tsili Tsili on 16 August 1943 where the unit played an important role in the paratroop attack and capture of Nadzab in the Markham Valley. As mentioned earlier Stan was an excellent marksman and took great care of his rifle. However, on one occasion, having just returned to his tent from the midnight shift at Tsilli Tsilli, he hastily prepared to attend a rifle inspection and forgot to take along the bolt - an essential item. During an inspection the bolt must be ‘worked’ so Stan went through the motions, He and the man next to him in line, Ray Loveday, could not hide their mirth and the inspecting officer noticed this. He said calmly, “Middleton and Loveday have just volunteered to dig a Bren gun pit”. All station personnel were required to practice with the Bren guns; Stan never liked them because he was left-handed and the ejected hot, empty shells passed close to his nose.
No. 50RS moved to Amami in October 1943 and on to Tadji in May 1944, where it was disbanded in July 1944 and long-serving staff posted home on leave. Stan had had dengue and hepatitis, and, though fit to travel, he suffered an attack of malaria on the journey and on arriving home he spent several weeks in hospital.
Stan and Marj Harris were married in Nov 1944. After a short duty at a southern station, Stan, now a sergeant, was posted north in April 1945, this time to Melville Island. He was posted home in December and discharged on 27 Jan 1946.
After two years as a technician with the PMG, Stan joined Michaelis Hallenstein and managed their Fishing Tackle Dept for 3 years. Then he accepted a position with a wholesale leather merchant and when the firm closed down he acquired part of the business. He and Marj worked successfully as wholesale leather merchants, representing local and interstate tanneries catering mainly for the footwear trade.
Soon after they were married Stan and Marj set up house in Maurice St Hawthorn, and there raised two daughters, Helen and Judith. Stan’s hobbies had been golf, fishing and the Hawthorn Football Club. However when he learned to fly aeroplanes in the 1960’s that became his main hobby. He was a skilled aerobatic pilot and attended Air Shows in London and Paris and the International Aerobatic Championships in Kiev, Russia. He remained loyal to the Hawthorn Football Club and was very active in the Masonic Lodge and Rotary. Throughout his time at Collingwood, where the ‘Midlea’ leather business was located, he supported the Children’s Protection Society and the Collingwood Children’s Farm.
Stan attended many ex-WW11 Radar reunions and other functions, including Canberra, Bendigo, Nelson Bay, Darwin, Adelaide and Geelong. He was one of the ad hoc group that formed the Victorian RAAF Radar Association in 1952.
Marj passed away in Feb 1996, soon after they had moved to a smaller home in Kew. Stan’s health deteriorated slowly from late 2007 and he passed away on 2 Nov 2008. Until his last few days he loved to talk about flying and football. He is survived by daughters, Helen and Judith, 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Thanks, mate, for 65 years of wonderful memories.
Born in Warragul, Vic, Stan attended school at Bunyip from Jan 1927 to 1935, walking from his parent’s dairy farm at Labertouche, and never missed a day. The farm provided the opportunity for hunting rabbits for pocket money and, like most farm boys then, Stan was a good shot. His first job was with the Victorian Railways and, at Auburn station, collecting tickets, he met his future wife, Marjory Harris.
Stan joined the RAAF in December 1941 and trained as a wireless mechanic in Course No 8 at Melbourne Technical College then as a radar mechanic on Course No 25G at Richmond NSW, graduating on 3 Jan 1942. His first operational posting was to No 306 Radar Station at Bulolo, PNG for a short period before moving to No 50 Radar Station at Dobodura at the end of March 1943. 50RS moved from Dobodura to Tsili Tsili on 16 August 1943 where the unit played an important role in the paratroop attack and capture of Nadzab in the Markham Valley. As mentioned earlier Stan was an excellent marksman and took great care of his rifle. However, on one occasion, having just returned to his tent from the midnight shift at Tsilli Tsilli, he hastily prepared to attend a rifle inspection and forgot to take along the bolt - an essential item. During an inspection the bolt must be ‘worked’ so Stan went through the motions, He and the man next to him in line, Ray Loveday, could not hide their mirth and the inspecting officer noticed this. He said calmly, “Middleton and Loveday have just volunteered to dig a Bren gun pit”. All station personnel were required to practice with the Bren guns; Stan never liked them because he was left-handed and the ejected hot, empty shells passed close to his nose.
No. 50RS moved to Amami in October 1943 and on to Tadji in May 1944, where it was disbanded in July 1944 and long-serving staff posted home on leave. Stan had had dengue and hepatitis, and, though fit to travel, he suffered an attack of malaria on the journey and on arriving home he spent several weeks in hospital.
Stan and Marj Harris were married in Nov 1944. After a short duty at a southern station, Stan, now a sergeant, was posted north in April 1945, this time to Melville Island. He was posted home in December and discharged on 27 Jan 1946.
After two years as a technician with the PMG, Stan joined Michaelis Hallenstein and managed their Fishing Tackle Dept for 3 years. Then he accepted a position with a wholesale leather merchant and when the firm closed down he acquired part of the business. He and Marj worked successfully as wholesale leather merchants, representing local and interstate tanneries catering mainly for the footwear trade.
Soon after they were married Stan and Marj set up house in Maurice St Hawthorn, and there raised two daughters, Helen and Judith. Stan’s hobbies had been golf, fishing and the Hawthorn Football Club. However when he learned to fly aeroplanes in the 1960’s that became his main hobby. He was a skilled aerobatic pilot and attended Air Shows in London and Paris and the International Aerobatic Championships in Kiev, Russia. He remained loyal to the Hawthorn Football Club and was very active in the Masonic Lodge and Rotary. Throughout his time at Collingwood, where the ‘Midlea’ leather business was located, he supported the Children’s Protection Society and the Collingwood Children’s Farm.
Stan attended many ex-WW11 Radar reunions and other functions, including Canberra, Bendigo, Nelson Bay, Darwin, Adelaide and Geelong. He was one of the ad hoc group that formed the Victorian RAAF Radar Association in 1952.
Marj passed away in Feb 1996, soon after they had moved to a smaller home in Kew. Stan’s health deteriorated slowly from late 2007 and he passed away on 2 Nov 2008. Until his last few days he loved to talk about flying and football. He is survived by daughters, Helen and Judith, 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Thanks, mate, for 65 years of wonderful memories.