Further notification of transfers of personnel were received today. All R.A.A.F. personnel were to be transferred to R.A.F. Transit Camp, ALMAZA tomorrow and so this evening we said farewell at a very gay party in the Sergeants Mess, to some of the most popular members of our flying crews. In operations and in their comradeship in the Squadron, the "Aussies” had proved themselves grand fellows. They were as loth to leave the squadron as we were to part with them, but the final edict had gone forth and they were now to proceed on transfer.
While there may be certain disadvantages in having non-S.A.A.F, personnel in a South African squadron,— promotion and other matters affecting such personnel usually can provide some administrative difficulties – as members of this squadron we found these Australians capable of working in closest harmony with their companions and insofar as operations were concerned they had more than done their fair share.
There was Eric Moir, boon companion of his South African co-gunner with whom he shared the honours in downing a Messerschmidt on one of their operational flights. Chris Cox who had "caught" the same"packet" which laid low his fellow South African gunner A/Sgt. M. Rosen and Frank Hill whose work as Observer and Bomb Aimer with the squadron had been of an exceptionally high standard.
Two of our Australian personnel had also been lost on operations and all in all they had contributed in large measure in loyal duty to this squadron. Small wonder then that their "send-off party" was arousing one tonight, ending in the late hours with the "anointing” of practically everyone present in liberal quantities of Beer!