Corporal Charles Gilbert Thurgate Hope

Charles Gilbert Thurgate Hope was the youngest son of Garnet John Hope and his wife Christian Thurgate (nee Lovett) and was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 23 July 1917. His father was a great-grandson of Thomas and Ann Stone.

When he joined the RAAF on 29 May 1941 he was a single farmer at “Restdown” near East Risdon, Tasmania.

As you can see from his application to be a Wireless Telegraphy Operator he had not had any secondary education but apparently had learnt Morse Code.

However as soon as he was accepted he was back in school at the No. 1 Wireless Air Gunners School at Ballarat, then the School of Technical Training in Sydney and the Signals School at Point Cook before returning to Ballarat.

Having satisfactorily completed his training he qualified as Clerk Signals with the rank of Aircraftman and returned to Sydney in May 1942 and embarked for Port Moresby, arriving on 15 June.

Gilbert arrived in Port Moresby at a very significant time in the history of the war in the Pacific. The battle for Port Moresby conducted by the No. 75 Squadron of the RAAF between 21 March and 8 May 1942 was an obstacle to the Japanese advance towards Australia.

When they arrived many of the younger pilots had had only nine days training in their new Kittyhawks and had fired their guns only once. Seventeen days later 12 pilots had been killed in action and 17 aircraft lost but they had intercepted 32 incoming raids and also conducted reconnaissance and attacks on enemy positions.

During 1942 the Allies went on to develop an airfield complex near Port Moresby which included eight airfields and Gilbert was posted to two of these in September and October 1942: 7 Mile or Jackson Airfield (now the site of Papua New Guinea’s international airport and Wards Airfield (5 Mile).

PAPUA. 1942-08-18. VIEW OF SEVEN MILE AERODROME NEAR PORT MORESBY AFTER A RAID BY 24 JAPANESE BOMBERS. THE CASUALTIES WERE ONE KILLED AND THIRTEEN INJURED; FOUR PLANES WERE DESTROYED AND SEVERAL DAMAGED. IN THE PICTURE ARE TRANSPORT PLANES WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISPERSED.

From December 1942 to November 1943 he was posted in Port Moresby, first with 10 Signals Unit and then the Wireless Telegraphy Station.

In November 1943 he returned to Australia and over the next two years his postings took him to Western Australia (Exmouth Gulf, Perth, Merredin) and Northern Territory (54 Mile, Darwin, Melville Bay) before returning to Melbourne.

He was promoted Leading Aircraftman 19 October 1942 and Corporal 1 April 1944. He was discharged 16 August 1946.

He was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-45, Australia Service Medal 1939-45, Returned from Active Service Badge.

On 3 January 1964 Gilbert married Kathleen Henrietta Clive (1917-1987). Her first husband Gavan Page Crisp (1906-1950) was a Solicitor and a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve.

Charles Gilbert Thurgate Hope died in Taroona, a southern suburb of Hobart, Tasmania on 9 August 1985 and is buried in Kingston, Tasmania. In his will he left his military medals to his nephew Gregory Garnett Hope.