JOHN MACNEIL
An extract from the article written by his son Richard
and former CHS student, Marilyn (Blizzard) Moore
for the April 2020 addition of 'Search', a publication by Coburg Historical Society
John Macneil Lived in Pascoe Vale South and attended Pascoe Vale Primary School from 1933 until 1938, then Coburg High School from 1939 until 1943 where in addition to English he studied science subjects - Physics and Maths. John was also a boy scout. Following tertiary engineering studies he decided to attend teachers college and spent a few years as a school teacher in various Victorian country schools, whilst also serving in the Citizen Military Force. His son, Richard, says John had a lifelong passion for education.
In 1951, John enlisted in the RAAF which took him to many places in the world. He started at the Flying Training School at the Point Cook RAAF Base, then elected to undergo training as a navigator and transferred to RAAF Base East Sale, graduating in August 1952. He was promoted to Sergeant and posted to 86 Transport Wing at RAAF Richmond. John was then posted to Japan and Korea at the end of February 1953 and served for the next nine months as a navigator with a transport squadron based at Iwakuni. He flew 765 hours on operations during that period. John was involved in the repatriation of prisoners of war in the period April – November 1953.
Whilst deployed, John was commissioned in June 1953 as a Pilot Officer and at the end of 1953 was posted to maritime reconnaissance. In 1954 he was seconded for a short time as a Fireflies observer on HMAS Sydney, giving him some interesting experiences of Navy life, before returning to his Squadron. He then did the Advanced Navigation Course, and was posted to the RAAF College in 1956 as an instructor.
John then assumed the position of Aide De Camp to the Governor-General, Field Marshal Sir William Slim, during which time he met his future wife Joan Mullins, an Ansett air hostess. They married in April 1957 and subsequently had three children - Andrew, Richard and Johanna. Joan died in 2017.
After his ADC position, John’s career then took him to Amberley where he flew on Canberra bombers. In 1958 he was posted as an exchange officer to the UK, again on Canberra bombers. John completed the Specialist Navigation course whilst there. He was then posted to the School of Air Navigation (SAN) at East Sale as an instructor, becoming the Chief Navigation Instructor in 1963.
In 1964 John attended RAAF Staff College and became the personal staff officer to the Minister for Air, Peter Howson, until the end of 1966. He was then posted on exchange to the United States Air Force as a flight commander at Sacramento for two years.
From 1969-1971 John was the Commanding Officer of the Officer Training School at Point Cook following promotion to Wing Commander. A highlight for him was the significant increase in the number of women trainees, and an increase in the range of diversity of the instructors. In 1972 he was posted to Canberra, initially working in the Equipment Requirements Staff. He attended the Joint Services Staff College in 1974 and then spent time in Air Force Plans, after which he was promoted to Group Captain and became Defence Adviser in Malaysia. From 1978 to 1980 John was the Officer Commanding Laverton RAAF Base – the first navigator to hold the position.
In 1980 he was promoted to Air Commodore and took up the position of Director General Service Conditions, from which he retired in March 1982 after 31 years of service.
John continued working for many years after retirement from the RAAF, including as Assistant Administrator of the National Trust (Victoria), as a high school teacher, and as an instructor at the Defence International Training Centre at Laverton.
He was an avid gardener, and in his late 80s started a tree farm on a few acres at Neilborough - he loved planting things and the tree farm was a labour of love. In 2017 his vision and mobility issues worsened, and in February 2018 he moved from Bendigo into the Park Lodge RSL home in Frankston, where he died peacefully on 19 March 2020.
and former CHS student, Marilyn (Blizzard) Moore
for the April 2020 addition of 'Search', a publication by Coburg Historical Society
John Macneil Lived in Pascoe Vale South and attended Pascoe Vale Primary School from 1933 until 1938, then Coburg High School from 1939 until 1943 where in addition to English he studied science subjects - Physics and Maths. John was also a boy scout. Following tertiary engineering studies he decided to attend teachers college and spent a few years as a school teacher in various Victorian country schools, whilst also serving in the Citizen Military Force. His son, Richard, says John had a lifelong passion for education.
In 1951, John enlisted in the RAAF which took him to many places in the world. He started at the Flying Training School at the Point Cook RAAF Base, then elected to undergo training as a navigator and transferred to RAAF Base East Sale, graduating in August 1952. He was promoted to Sergeant and posted to 86 Transport Wing at RAAF Richmond. John was then posted to Japan and Korea at the end of February 1953 and served for the next nine months as a navigator with a transport squadron based at Iwakuni. He flew 765 hours on operations during that period. John was involved in the repatriation of prisoners of war in the period April – November 1953.
Whilst deployed, John was commissioned in June 1953 as a Pilot Officer and at the end of 1953 was posted to maritime reconnaissance. In 1954 he was seconded for a short time as a Fireflies observer on HMAS Sydney, giving him some interesting experiences of Navy life, before returning to his Squadron. He then did the Advanced Navigation Course, and was posted to the RAAF College in 1956 as an instructor.
John then assumed the position of Aide De Camp to the Governor-General, Field Marshal Sir William Slim, during which time he met his future wife Joan Mullins, an Ansett air hostess. They married in April 1957 and subsequently had three children - Andrew, Richard and Johanna. Joan died in 2017.
After his ADC position, John’s career then took him to Amberley where he flew on Canberra bombers. In 1958 he was posted as an exchange officer to the UK, again on Canberra bombers. John completed the Specialist Navigation course whilst there. He was then posted to the School of Air Navigation (SAN) at East Sale as an instructor, becoming the Chief Navigation Instructor in 1963.
In 1964 John attended RAAF Staff College and became the personal staff officer to the Minister for Air, Peter Howson, until the end of 1966. He was then posted on exchange to the United States Air Force as a flight commander at Sacramento for two years.
From 1969-1971 John was the Commanding Officer of the Officer Training School at Point Cook following promotion to Wing Commander. A highlight for him was the significant increase in the number of women trainees, and an increase in the range of diversity of the instructors. In 1972 he was posted to Canberra, initially working in the Equipment Requirements Staff. He attended the Joint Services Staff College in 1974 and then spent time in Air Force Plans, after which he was promoted to Group Captain and became Defence Adviser in Malaysia. From 1978 to 1980 John was the Officer Commanding Laverton RAAF Base – the first navigator to hold the position.
In 1980 he was promoted to Air Commodore and took up the position of Director General Service Conditions, from which he retired in March 1982 after 31 years of service.
John continued working for many years after retirement from the RAAF, including as Assistant Administrator of the National Trust (Victoria), as a high school teacher, and as an instructor at the Defence International Training Centre at Laverton.
He was an avid gardener, and in his late 80s started a tree farm on a few acres at Neilborough - he loved planting things and the tree farm was a labour of love. In 2017 his vision and mobility issues worsened, and in February 2018 he moved from Bendigo into the Park Lodge RSL home in Frankston, where he died peacefully on 19 March 2020.