William Booth

Another medal I received from the Toodyay RSL was the Defence Medal awarded to 64138 William Herbert Booth. There is not much to tell about this story as it only took me 10 minutes from the time I started searching until I was speaking to William's family. Easy searchers through the NAA WWII RAAF records, Ancestry, the Ryerson Index and the White Pages led me straight to the right person
Thanks again to Max from Toodyay. The returned medal tally is now1697.

Post update
Information and photos supplied by the family of William Booth

WILLIAM HERBERT BOOTH

William Herbert 'Bill' Booth attended Trinity Grammar School and worked as a furniture salesman for Beard Watson & Co. Ltd. in Sydney prior to World War 2. As a young boy he attended many parties at the family home of Hardwick and the photograph below identifies him as ‘Billie Booth’.

Bill joined the RAAF at the start of World War 2 and was initially stationed at Parkes, NSW. He then attended the Signal School at Point Cook from 10 May 1942 to 15 October 1942, graduating as a wireless mechanic. From October of that year, he was based at No. 1 AOF.1 School at Richmond. From March the following year he was a member of 83 Squadron, returning to Point Piper in July 1945. While in 83 Squadron, Bill travelled to Millingimbi Island in the Arafura Sea in December 1943 and Gove on the coast of Cape Arnhem on 19 January 1944, remaining there until 20 September 1944. He reached the rank of Corporal in 1943 and was demobbed on 30 November 1945.

Bill married Lila Elizabeth Munro, 'Bonnie', on 15 April 1939. 

Between 1943 and 1949 Bonnie, and after the war, Bill, lived at 62 Bathurst Street, Liverpool. Below is an extract from the 1943 Australian Electoral Roll:

Bill and Bonny had two sons. By 1954 the family was living at 154 Pacific Highway, Greenwich, and Bill and Bonnie were listed as storekeepers. By 1958 the family had moved to 104 Liverpool Road, Ashfield. Bill and Bonnie divorced in the 1960’s and Bill went to live in Maroochydore, Queensland. He died in September 1980 in Gosford, NSW.