Harold Graham Pockley DFC (1913 - 1945)

Ancestors

Biography

Harold Graham Pockley was born on 5th February 1913 at Graceville, Queensland, Australia. He was the younger son of Harold Pockley and Jeannie Turner.^[1] His childhood was spent in the Randwick region of Sydney's south east. He was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School.

He married Joyce Agnes Price in 1940 at Randwick, New South Wales.^[2]

Harold served in the Royal Australian Air Force during the Second World War; enlisted 8th January 1940. He undertook flying training and graduated as a Pilot Officer on 4th May, before attending navigation and advanced flying courses. Upon promotion to Flying Officer later that year, he embarked for Great Britain aboard the Empress of Russia. He began his operational flying with 10 Squadron RAAF in Scotland on 19th March 1941 and quickly gained a reputation as a daring pilot. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) in July for 'operational sorties against enemy shipping' and a Bar to the DFC in November for 'destroying U-boats, R-boats and enemy merchant vessels'. He was invested with both awards at Buckingham Palace by King George VI on 1st July 1942. He flew his last operation with 10 Squadron on 12th November 1942, before being posted to 41 Squadron RAAF in Australia which at this stage of the war was operating Martin Mariner aircraft. The squadron flew regular supply operations to New Guinea to resupply the ground forces in the Papua and New Guinea campaigns.

Harold was promoted to temporary Squadron Leader on 1st February 1943 and then Acting Squadron Leader in August 1943. In September 1944 he was serving with No. 41 Sea Transport Squadron RAAF, flying Martin Mariner flying boats between Australian and Dutch New Guinea bases.

He was posted to command the newly formed 200 Flight (Special Duties) at Leyburn airfield near Toowoomba in February 1945. The squadron was formed to support M and Z Special units operating in the Netherlands East Indies and Borneo. The aircraft they flew were modified B-24 Liberator Bombers. Harold flew his first mission with this unit on 25th February 1945 and his last, flying Liberator A72-191 one month later.

Squadron Leader Pockley and his crew were posted missing in action on 25th March 1945 after failing to return from a successful operation to insert personnel and supplies into the jungles of Sarawak. The aircraft was seen attacking a merchant vessel off Borneo and it is believed this action caused the loss of the aircraft and crew. He is commemorated at the Labuan War Memorial Cemetery, Panel 32. His name is located on Panel 111 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.^[3][4]

Sources

1. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #C11063/1913
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #16850/1940
3. ↑ RSL Virtual War Memorial; accessed 4 Sep 2018
4. ↑ Commonwealth War Graves Commission: SQUADRON LEADER HAROLD GRAHAM POCKLEY Service Number: 260608 Royal Australian Air Force Died 25 March 1945 Age 32 years Buried or commemorated at LABUAN MEMORIAL Panel 32. Malaysia Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar Son of Harold Campbell Pockley and Jeannie Rose Pockley; husband of Joyce Agnes Pockley, of Randwick, New South Wales