Shep's Place Family Tree

After doing an accountancy course he joined Wunderlich Ltd. ‎(specializing in terra cotta roofing tiles - "6 colours, guaranteed fadeless for 50 years")‎ as an accountant when aged about 18 years and in 1939 was at the Edwardstown plant and had acquired a considerable knowledge of the tile business. in that April his 21st. birthday celebration was held at the South Australian Hotel, North Terrace with a 10 course dinner dance. It was a young peoples' entertainment rather than a family affair. EMS and her cousins Shirley and Colin Stevenson were present.

Noel enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force under the Empire Air Training scheme in November 1939 but was not called up until the following April. He trained at various R.A.A.F. schools and gained his wings as a sergeant pilot in February 1941. At that time pilots did not automatically have officer status as later. He was sent overseas to the Middle East from where he was transferred to Colombo, Ceylon ‎(now Sri Lanka)‎.

In April 1942 Japanese sea forces were moving toward the Andaman Islands which they had recently occupied and the Americans attacked by air while Japanese warships closed in on a British merchant fleet and caused many casualties. British and Australian planes were defending Ceylon's naval airbase, Trincomalee. On Easter Sunday 1942 Noel took off with his Blenheim Squadron from Colombo to attack the Japanese fleet which consisted of 4 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, 10 cruisers, and two flotillas of destroyers.

Nine Blenheims ‎(with Noel being pilot of one)‎ made the attack and were met by heavy ack-ack fire, but they dropped their bomb loads from 2,000 feet. Two Blenheims were shot down before 20 Japanese fighter planes came at the seven remaining which were making for the coast and flying close to the water. Some 70 more Japanese aircraft approached and brought down 3 more Blenheims. Noel was the last of these, being one of the 8 Australians and 9 British who died that day. 'This account is from one of the survivors who made landfall some 40 miles down the coast at Trineo, namely John Cruise.

The official account differs a little so is given also ‎(per favour of Shirley Gordon who came across it in her reading)‎ and is from page 499 of Douglas Gillison's book - "Australia in the War of 1939-45"

Before the enemy raid began the 14 crews of No.11 Squadron were being briefed for an attack on the Japanese naval force now known to include several aircraft carriers and battleships. Engine and armament faults prevented 4 aircraft from leaving the ground but at 9.20 a.m. 10 Blenheims left Colombo to attack. En route to the target engine failure reduced the force by another aircraft. Of the 9 Blenheims to finally attack two of the crews were all Australian and there were Australians in all other crews but one.

The Blenheims, carrying a varied bomb-load of 500 lb. and 250 lb. general purpose and 250 lb. anti-submarine bombs, found their target dead ahead: 5 aircraft carriers, 3 battleships, 4 heavy cruisers and a variety of other craft - a total of more than 40 warships. The Blenheims came down to 11,000 feet and began their bombing against a large carrier.

The enemy ships held their fire until the Blenheims were practically over head perhaps mistaking them for their own aircraft; then practically every ship in the fleet opened fire. Several near misses were the best the Blenheims could record with their bombing but all came safely through the barrage of gunfire. Enemy fighters - between 45 and 50 of them then attacked. One bomber piloted by a Rhodesian, Flying Officer C.H. Adcock, with two Australian crew - F.O. Burgan, navigator,and Sergeant Gray, wireless air gunner - was immediately shot down. Other Blenheim crew members saw the tracer coming from the Blenheim's gun as Gray continued fighting till the last.

Another Blenheim piloted by a South African, Lieut. D. Knight with two Australians as crew members - F.O. Erans and Sgt. McAuley, was shot down while flying low over the sea, and a third which had an all Australian crew - Sgts. MacLennan and Travers and F1t. Sgt. Nell - also went into the sea after a fierce running fight just above the water. Other crews thought that MacLennan's crew had accounted for two Zeros just before the bomber hit the sea.

The Zeros claimed their 4th. victim when they shot down a bomber piloted by another Australian, Warrant Officer Stevenson.

Footnote page 500:
W.O. N.L. STEVENSON, 407083, 223 and 11 Squadrons R.A.A.F. - assistant accountant, of Adelaide: b. Adelaide, 23 Apr.1918. killed in Action, April 9, 1942."

Because of being reported as "Missing" for a long time, his parents ‎(and Nancy)‎ were hopeful he had survived, until a crew member let Stuart know, that although much occupied himself so that he was unable to see the actual crash into the sea, he had no doubt Noel had died.