We would like to wish Cecil ‘Boz’ Parsons a very happy 104th birthday.
Cecil now lives in Ocean Grove, Victoria, Australia having been born on the 12th of September 1918 in Colac.
He joined the Air Force straight after obtaining a university degree in 1939 at the age of 21. Signing up in Melbourne, Cecil started his training in Narromine, NSW., on Tiger Moths.
Cecil’s operational flying started at Linton on Ouse in Yorkshire with 5 sorties as Second Pilot on Halifaxes, followed by 28 operations on Whitleys.
Completing this tour with the rank of Sergeant, he was then commissioned to Flight Lieutenant.
Having spent his time in 35 and 58 Squadrons flying all over Europe, Cecil now found himself heading back to Australia to be based in Darwin to take part in the Pacific War, after having a months leave back in Melbourne. During this time Cecil won the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, Cecil stayed in the RAAF for some time before leaving to transfer to commercial flying with Bush Airline, Alice Springs.
Leaving his flying career, Cecil got married and started a family, turning his hand to farming on York Peninsula in South Australia. Finding it difficult to adjust to this way of life, the family relocated to Victoria where Cecil followed a profession in school teaching.
Flying still playing a large part in Cecil’s life, he still managed to “loop the loop” in a light aircraft in his nineties.
Sincere thanks to https://internationalbcc.co.uk/ for alerting me to this amazing man.
