Photo taken after his graduation at Point Cook (Photo Mr Mike Gibbes).

Augustus Rodney Gibbes was known to his family as "Rod", he was born in the rural township of Young about a hundred miles West South West of Sydney, Australia on 5th January 1915. The family later moved to Kurrajong, a small town in the Blue Mountains, where his father Augustus John Gibbes operated a sawmill, they later moved to the Sydney suburb of Northbridge. He came from a very militarian family, a number of his relatives had served in both World Wars. W/C Bobby Gibbes DSO DFC & Bar and S/Ldr Peter Gibbes AFC DFC being two such members. Their is also said to be a link to Frederick, Duke of York. His great-grandfather, Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes came to Australia in 1834 as the Collector of Customs for New South Wales.

Rod Gibbes enlisted into the RAAF at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia in 1936 and went to England on a short service commission in 1937 upon graduation. At that time, there was a long-standing arrangement that a small number of RAAF Point Cook Pilot Officer graduates were selected for RAF entry on a Short Service Commission exchange scheme. These men were then properly members of the RAF and allotted RAF Service numbers his being 40048. Between 1926 and 1938, the RAAF/RAF exchange scheme resulted in at least 149 young RAAF cadet pilots transferring to the RAF, their Cadet year at Point Cook counting as the first of a five or six year RAF commission. Thirty three of these young officer pilots later died or were reported missing in RAF service. Gibbes was one of the party of fifteen Point Cook "A" Course graduates who embarked for the UK on 17th July 1937, arriving on 26th August. By late 1941, five of the party had been awarded the DFC, and six of the party had been reported killed in action or missing in action. His career in the UK is currently being researched, upon reaching the UK he must have done an amount of flying and currently an unknown unit/units in the years prior to War breaking out. What is known is that on arrival in the UK he assumed the rank of P/O, with effect of the 26th August 1937. When he arrived at 115 Squadron is not yet known.

This is a photograph of B-Flight of 115 Squadron taken in 115 Squadron showing many of those involved in the accident. Back row, second from left LAC Stone; third from left Sgt Petersen, fourth from left AC Moir. Front row, second from left F/O Clarke; third from left F/O Gibbes. Seated far left is P/O "Marsham" but probably P/O Marshman.

He received facial injuries as a result of the crash at Rosedale but the injuries were only superficial as he was soon back in the air. His next operational flight was on the night of 17th/18th May 1940 he was flying in Wellington P9300 with all four who survived the crash at Rosedale plus two replacements, they were returning from an operational flight when weather prevented them landing at Marham. They were instructed to divert to Mildenhall and then two other airfields but the thick fog prevented them landing. Running low on fuel F/O Gibbes made a wheels-down forced landing in a field near Marks Tey, Essex without injury to any of the crew, the aircraft was later flown out from the field after being made lighter. On their next operational flight on the night of 20th/21st May 1940 he was again flying operationally with 115 Squadron with Moir, Petersen and Stone in Wellington P9283 and while the aircraft making a bombing run it sustained flak damage seriously injuring the front gunner. The aircraft became caught in the beams of searchlights and the aircraft was fired upon by machine gun, AC1 Moir received a flak or bullet wound to the foot but was able to return fire scored hits on the searchlights. The aircraft made a safe return to base and the gunners were hospitalised. Rod Gibbes was promoted from F/O to F/Lt on 3rd September 1940 and from F/Lt to Temporary S/Ldr on 1st December 1941. At some point in late 1940 / early 1941 he transferred to 218 Squadron. Aged twenty five he was awarded the DFC in September 1941 for a long record of day and night attacks on Germany and Norway, the citation for his DFC states that "on 20th May 1940 he pressed home a reconnaissance operation on targets in such a determined way that he was heavily engaged by anti-aircraft fire, and both his front and rear gunners were wounded. He had a personal record of seven long sweeps, one night reconnaissance over Germany and 18 bombing operations, including daylight attacks on Heligoland and Bergen, and a dawn and dusk attack on Stavanger. Throughout he showed persistent determination and outstanding courage, often in the face of extremely unpleasant conditions." It is thought he completed a Tour with 115 Squadron.

While stationed in Norfolk he met his wife Joan Crisp, of Narborough near Kings Lynn. They later married in 1940 and had a son, Michael (photo Mr Mike Gibbes).

Just after his DFC was awarded on the 2nd September 1941 he was forced to ditch a 218 Squadron Wellington X9810 in the sea off the Belgium coast after it was damaged by Flak. The unhurt crew took to the dinghy and amazingly three days later they arrived unaided in Margate, Kent having paddled their way back. A remarkable feat. He completed a second Tour with 218 Squadron. His cousin would later write about this incident in his book "You Live But Once" an autobiography by Wing Commander Robert (Bobby) H. Gibbes D.S.O. D.F.C. & BAR. It was published 1994.

Rod Gibbes was posted to the RAFO with effect from the 26th August 1942, following which he transferred to the RAAF, and his service number changed to 267505. At some stage he completed a further Tour before being grounded. He later wanted to fly again and eventually he was posted overseas to the fly in Malta and North Africa. He was sadly killed on 16th August 1943 serving with 142 Squadron when his aircraft, Wellington HE266, was shot down near Viterbo, Italy, on an operational flight. It is thought that the aircraft crashed into the sea killing all on board. He was twenty eight years old and his body was never found, he is commemorated on the Malta Memorial. It must be a rarity that someone could complete three operational Tours. One wonders if he was the only Australian to have done so.