Edward John (Tim) O'Riley 407647

Date of birth - 24 Nov 1918 

Place of birth - JAMESTOWN SA

Place of enlistment - ADELAIDE

Next of Kin - O'RILEY Barbara (wife)

L-R Tim standing. NK seated with dog.Ron Eggers (Nav) Bob Boulton (WAG) in doorway. NK standing  

Bob Boulton (WAG) defying the low flyer  

Tunis- Tim and George Unitt at bats. Backed by a happy lot.  

The following is an Extract from a letter written by Tim's wife,  Mrs. Barbara O'Riley 27th September, 2012.

I guess this will be a succinct feature on Tim. When we met in late 1943 he had finished 'ops' and was a gunnery instructor at RAF West Freugh in Scotland.  We met by chance when he offered to help me re-light the pot belly stove in the recreational hut and invited me to the cinema at Stranraer. He (Tim) didn't talk very much about the 'ops' except night bombing the Italian Fleet and the siege of Malta. We married the following June, Ron Eggers was our best man.

Tim returned to Australia via America, was eventually de-mobbed and bought a Dairy farm in the Adelaide Hills (South Australia) I came out on the "Nestor" with our 4 month old son in 1945. To a 20 year old, no electricity, bucket toilet and learning to milk cows, washing eggs at night as they were free range was quite a culture shock (to me).  Entertainment was a monthly dance at the Villiage Hall and an amature hour annually at which Tim played the violin and I sang.

Our family grew to 3 sons and a daughter, none with asparations to farming!!

24 night 'ops' from Malta then from Protville near Tunis Bob Boulton, Ron Eggers and Tim posted back to England.

Sincerely

Barb O'Riley.

Tim's pilot, Micky Reid (Canadian) sent photos and this letter after Tim died.  

Photographs supplied thanks to Barbara O'Riley

Barb O'Riley. Article in local Newspaper.  

Bomb damaged Chapel at Malta  

Meleesh the Wog Dog. Shallufa Dec. 1942  

Playing Aussie Rules Football.  

Bob Armour. KIA at Messina, Scicily, 29th April, 1943.