Rees, Daniel

Date of birth:: February 5th, 1922 (Maylands, Western Australia)
Date of death:: June 21st, 2004
Service number:: Aus.415193
Nationality:: Australian

Biography

Daniel Rees enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 21 July 1941. In June 1942 he was posted to the United Kingdom where he trained on Wellingtons and Lancasters before joining 460 Squadron at Binbrook.

He was later promoted to Pilot Officer and then Flight Lieutenant. He spent time during the remainder of the war instructing on Wellingtons and Lancasters, returning to Australia in January 1945. He then served in North-Western Western Australia flying transport aircraft and in 1946 served as Air Transport and Movement Officer in Iwakuni, Japan before his discharge from the RAAF on 31 October 1947. He returned to his pre-war civilian occupation as Clerk of Courts with the Crown Law Department but from August 1952 also enlisted in the Air Training Corps, serving as the Flight Commander of No. 3 Flight Fremantle, bcoming ultimately Wing Commander. He lived much of his post-war life at Mandurah, Western Australia.

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Conspicuous Gallantry Medal (CGM)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Flight Sergeant
Unit:: No. 460 (RAAF) Squadron, Royal Air Force
Awarded on:: September 24th, 1943

Citation:
"One night in August 1943, this airman displayed superb skill when piloting an aircraft detailed for an operation against Milan. During the outward flight, 2 of the bomber’s engines became defective but Flight Sergeant Rees continued to his far distant target and bombed it, afterwards flying the disabled aircraft to base. One night in August 1943, Flight Sergeant Rees took part in an attack on Peenemunde. Whilst over the target area, the aircraft was attacked by a fighter. The attacker was driven off but the bomber had been repeatedly hit. The starboard tail plane and the trimming tabs were shot away, 1 engine and the hydraulic system were damaged, while 1 of the petrol tanks was pierced and its contents lost. Despite this, Flight Sergeant Rees coolly and skilfully flew the damaged bomber to base. This airman, who has completed many sorties, has displayed courage and tenacity of a high degree."

Rees received the CGM from King George VI in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace held on 14 March 1944.