Home

In 38 years of Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) service my father, Air Commodore Geoffrey William Talbot AFC (Air Force Cross), accumulated more than 7000 flying hours in 75 different aircraft types.

At the outbreak of World War 2 my father John Percival Garrard was teaching at a one-teacher school in Forest, situated in the Otway Ranges in Victoria. He had settled there with his wife Dorothy and young family - Patricia, aged four and John aged two.

My father’s younger brother, Flight Lieutenant Frank Grosvenor, was a veteran of flying operations.
 
Born in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Marrickville and later living in harbourside Manly, Frank enlisted in the Australian Defence Force aged 18 years and 7 months.

Flight Lieutenant Kenneth Trevor Glasziou is standing far right.

My father Ken began training with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in Canada and was presented with his wings in October 1941.