It's been more than 80 years since James Birt was defending our nation in World War 2, yet he can still vividly remember the locations and events of his service in the Royal Australian Air Force.
Mr Birt joined the Air Force when he was 19, and after completing flying training on the Tiger Moth and Avro Anson, he joined 100 Squadron flying the Bristol Beaufort.
He served in the squadron in 1943 and again in 1945, flying reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols in New Guinea.
He is believed to be the last surviving WW2 RAAF pilot who served with the squadron - which is why the special visit from Commanding Officer 100 Squadron Wing Commander Richard Brougham to see Mr Birt this Remembrance Day was particularly poignant.
"It's living history - to make these connections, acknowledge those who came before us and continue their story," Wing Commander Brougham said.
During the visit, Wing Commander Brougham, along with Squadron Warrant Officer 100 Squadron, Warrant Officer Luke Sweeney, and Mr Birt's daughter-in-law, Jill, explored his service during WW2. They learnt how he witnessed the shooting down of Beaufort A9-186 over Gasmata - which was only discovered in 2020, with the remains of two aviators identified in the crash laid to rest in May this year.
"He pointed out exactly the spot where the aircraft was shot down, and here we are 82 years later and the events of that day are still burnt into his memory," Wing Commander Brougham said.
'It's an extremely privileged opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of our history, especially with these windows of opportunity rapidly closing.'
Mr Birt wasn't the only Birt to serve in WW2. His younger brother, Peter, flew with 460 Squadron as part of Bomber Command in the European theatre on the Lancaster.
The squadron suffered the highest casualty rate in Bomber Command, and sadly, Peter was one of them. He was killed in action on his 15th operation in January 1945 in a mission over Stuttgart, at only 20 years old.
After the Remembrance Day service, a special visit to the Lancaster at the Bull Creek Aviation Heritage Museum was arranged for Mr Birt's great-grandson, Bailey, who at 18, is the same age Peter was when he enlisted.
"There was something special about seeing what he would have experienced during operations all those years ago," Bailey said.
"I felt I could connect more vividly to the stories I'd heard and read about him. It was an experience I'll remember for a long time to come, and one for which I'm very grateful."
Wing Commander Brougham highlighted the importance of Air Force's role in preserving and passing on veterans' stories to future generations.
"It's an extremely privileged opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of our history, especially with these windows of opportunity rapidly closing," Wing Commander Brougham said.
"Those connections between the then, now and always is something that we try and maintain and continue to perpetuate as part of 100 Squadron."
