William Brill
Encyclopedia
William Lloyd Brill DSO
, DFC
& Bar
(17 May 1916 – 12 October 1964) was a senior officer and bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). Born in the Riverina
district of New South Wales, he was a farmer and a member of the Australian Militia
before joining the RAAF as an air cadet in 1940. Training in Australia and Canada
, he was posted to Britain in 1941 to take part in the air war over Europe. Brill first saw combat as a member of No. 460 Squadron RAAF, flying Vickers Wellington
medium bombers. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
(DFC) in May 1942 for attacking a target after his plane had been badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Following assignment as an instructor
with the Royal Air Force
(RAF), he returned to the bombing campaign in January 1944 as a flight commander
with No. 463 Squadron RAAF, operating Avro Lancaster
heavy bombers.
Brill's leadership and determination to complete his missions despite damage to his aircraft—on one occasion inflicted by another Lancaster's bombs from above—earned him the Distinguished Service Order
. Promoted to Wing Commander
in May 1944, he took over No. 467 Squadron RAAF after the death in combat of its then-commander, Group Captain John Balmer
. Brill was awarded a Bar
to his DFC in July, for his skill in evading three German night fighter
s. Returning to Australia, he remained in the Air Force after the war and commanded No. 10 Squadron
in 1949–50. He went on to lead air bases at Rathmines
, Canberra
and Townsville
during the 1950s and 60s. Brill served two terms as RAAF Director of Personnel Services, in 1956–59 and 1960–63, by which time he had been promoted to Group Captain
. His final posting was at the Department of Air in Canberra, where he died of a heart attack
in October 1964.
town of Ganmain
, New South Wales. He was the fourth of seven children of farmer Edward Brill and his wife Bertha, who were originally from Victoria
. The Brills owned a property called "Clearview", and Bill attended the local school. He completed his education at Yanco Agricultural High
, gaining his Intermediate Certificate before joining his brothers in wheat farming. Thickly set and physically strong, he was also a keen Australian Rules Football
er, playing for Ganmain, Grong Grong
, and Matong
. On 5 January 1939, Brill enlisted in the 21st Light Horse Regiment, a Militia
unit, at Narrandera. He was promoted to corporal
in May. The previous month he had been tested as a potential air cadet, the interview panel finding him a "quiet country chap" who was "rather slow" but "intelligent".
On 11 November 1940, Brill transferred to the RAAF active reserve, known as the Citizen Air Force (CAF). He went through the Empire Air Training Scheme
(EATS), undergoing initial instruction at RAAF Bradfield Park
in Sydney. Selected to be a pilot, he received his elementary flying training on De Havilland Tiger Moth
s at RAAF Station Narrandera. In March 1941, Brill was posted to Canada for advanced instruction on Avro Anson
s at No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary
. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
on 28 July 1941, and sailed to Britain the next month. In October he began converting to Vickers Wellington
medium bombers at No. 27 Operational Training Unit, Lichfield
, and was assigned to No. 460 Squadron RAAF, which formed at RAF Molesworth
the following month.
provisions of EATS, No. 460 Squadron was one of a number of nominally Australian formations taking part in RAF Bomber Command
's strategic air campaign against Germany. In January 1942, the unit moved from Molesworth to RAF Breighton, Yorkshire. Brill flew as a co-pilot in No. 460 Squadron's first operation, against the German port of Emden
in March. He was soon in command of his own Wellington, attacking targets in northern France. On 5 April 1942, he undertook his first sortie against a well-defended city deep in enemy territory, Cologne
. He later recorded his apprehension before the raid:
On the night of 29/30 May, Brill's was one of 27 aircraft detailed to bomb the Gnome et Rhône
, Thomson Houston
, and Goodrich
factories in the Paris suburb of Gennevilliers
. The crews were required to have good visibility of the target area before bombing, to ensure accuracy and reduce collateral damage. Due to foul weather over the Channel
, Brill flew at an altitude of less than 200 feet (61 m) until crossing the French coast. The clouds had begun to clear over Paris and searchlights swept the sky, accompanied by heavy anti-aircraft fire. Most of the bombers released their loads from between 4000 and 8000 ft (1,219.2 and 2,438.4 m). Brill, however, dropped to 1500 feet (457.2 m) before making his attack. With the bomb bay doors open, his Wellington was struck by flak, damaging the hydraulics and rear gun turret, and leaving one of the 1000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs hanging after the others dropped on target. Returning to England through more bad weather, he spotted an emergency landing ground and brought the crippled Wellington down with the bomb doors still open and one tyre flat; the plane was later scrapped. Brill's was the only one of four Wellingtons from No. 460 Squadron to find the target area and successfully attack. For his "courage and determination" in pressing home the assault, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
on 26 June, the first pilot in his squadron to be decorated.
Over the following month No. 460 Squadron participated in 1,000-bomber raids against Cologne
, Essen
and Bremen
. Brill was promoted to acting Flight Lieutenant
in July 1942, and completed his first tour of operations, numbering 31 sorties, on 11 August. He was seconded to the RAF as an instructor in November 1942, returning to No. 27 Operational Training Unit at Lichfield. He spent the next eleven months there, leading a training flight and gaining promotion to acting Squadron Leader
in April 1943. In August, he was best man at the wedding of his friend and fellow RAAF pilot, Arthur Doubleday. The press would come to refer to the pair as the "Flying Twins", as their wartime careers so closely paralleled one another—both men came from the Riverina district, joined the Air Force together on Remembrance Day
1940, arrived in England in August 1941, flew Wellingtons in No. 460 Squadron, volunteered for second tours in Bomber Command, and received many decorations and promotions in tandem. Doubleday would survive the war and later become active in civil aviation.
and Avro Lancaster
heavy bombers in the last months of 1943. In the new year, he was appointed a flight commander in No. 463 Squadron RAAF, operating Lancasters out of RAF Waddington
, Lincolnshire. Waddington was also home to another Australian squadron, No. 467
, and Brill took an active part in the station's raucous mess life. His younger brother Vic, who had joined the RAAF in 1941, was in the same squadron. Brill returned to combat in the middle of the Battle of Berlin
, flying his first sortie to the "Big City" on 20 January 1944. The statistical likelihood of surviving an operational tour of 30 missions in Bomber Command was never more than 50%, however, during the Battle of Berlin, loss rates were far higher.
Brill took off for his second mission to Berlin on 27 January. The Lancaster he flew was said to be jinxed, possessed of an engine that lost power in the air but always tested well on the ground, and suffering oxygen failure that killed its rear gunner the previous sortie. One of the engines did begin to falter before Brill reached Berlin, forcing him to fly lower than normal. Having released his bombs over target, he felt the plane take several strikes that he assumed were anti-aircraft fire, but were in fact the incendiaries
of a Lancaster flying above. The nose, rudder controls, and electricals were all severely damaged, and the port
wing was on fire. Having warned his crew to prepare to bail out, Brill dived the Lancaster and succeeded in putting out the flames. The crew was able to remain on board and, after a nine-hour flight, the plane landed back at Waddington. It was, according to Brill, "not my idea of an evening's entertainment". He flew a total of eleven operations during the Battle of Berlin, including Bomber Command's costliest raid of the war, against Nuremberg
in March. On that occasion, one of his engines failed and another was damaged when he had to fly through a cloud of debris from a Lancaster that was blown to pieces directly in his path.
By April 1944, No. 463 Squadron had begun to concentrate on targets in France and Belgium as the Allied air campaign shifted focus from strategic bombing to destroying airfields and disrupting lines of communication prior to the invasion of the continent
. On 8 May, Brill was the bombing controller for a raid on an airfield near Brest
. The controller was required to arrive ahead of the main Allied force, check that flares marking the target were in place, and warn his fellows if they were bombing inaccurately. By the time Brill had completed this task and gone in himself to attack, the ground defences were fully alert and peppered his Lancaster with 140 bullet holes, but he refused to take evasive action until he had delivered his bombload. Promoted to acting Wing Commander
, Brill assumed control of No. 467 Squadron on 12 May, following the death in combat of its previous commanding officer, Group Captain John Balmer
. According to the official history of the RAAF in World War II, Brill "proved a very worthy successor to Balmer both in administration and in the dashing type of leadership which had brought the Waddington squadrons to the fore in No. 5 Group
". He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
on 19 May for "leadership, skill and gallantry of the highest order" and "his determination to make every sortie a success" in spite of frequent damage to his aircraft. Early the next month he led No. 467 Squadron in raids on Axis radar stations in northern France. The unit was in action on D-Day over Pointe du Hoc
and, later, clearing a corridor for Allied troops advancing up the Cherbourg peninsula.
On the night of 4/5 July, Nos. 463 and 467 Squadrons bombed supply depots for V-weapons near Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
. Brill's Lancaster was attacked by three German night fighter
s, but he was able to evade them with only a few bullets striking his plane. His "fine leadership and courage" during the action earned him a Bar
to his DFC; the award was promulgated in the London Gazette
on 16 January 1945. Brill completed his second tour of operations later in July but stayed on to fly more missions, often mentoring less experienced crews. By now he had earned a reputation for being quite "mad", as he would often "turn around and have a look" at his handiwork after a bombing run, rather than making his escape as quickly as possible. He handed over command of No. 467 Squadron on 12 October 1944, becoming the first man to survive his time as its leader. Brill had flown a total of 58 missions in Bomber Command when he returned to Australia in the new year. He married Ilma Kitto, a teacher, at Ganmain's Methodist Church on 29 January 1945. The couple had been engaged since before the war; they had two sons and a daughter.
, Victoria. Little support or direction on its use as a training facility was forthcoming from higher command, and in the summer months its Avro Lincoln
bombers were employed in bushfire patrols over East Gippsland
, reporting 44 outbreaks in February 1947 alone. Brill transferred from the CAF to the Permanent Air Force in 1948, and reverted to the rank of Squadron Leader. In March 1949 he became the inaugural commander of a re-formed No. 10 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron
, which had been disbanded in 1945 after service throughout World War II. In its new guise the squadron was established from the staff and facilities of RAAF Station Garbutt in Townsville
. Brill's main tasks were organising to absorb or close surplus wartime facilities in North Queensland, and preparing No. 10 Squadron for search-and-rescue operations. The unit took delivery of its first four Lincoln Mk
30s in September 1949, and Brill handed over command the following January.
Raised to substantive Wing Commander, Brill served as a director at RAAF Staff College in Point Cook
, Victoria, until his appointment as Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman
, in March 1952. He was posted to command the Officer Training School
(OTS) at RAAF Base Rathmines
, New South Wales, in December 1953. In this role he was also the commanding officer of the base. His title changed in May 1956 as Rathmines and OTS were reorganised under the newly established RAAF School of Ground Training, with Brill taking charge of the school until July. Considered an empathetic leader of men, he then became Director of Personnel Services. Promoted to Group Captain
, Brill served throughout 1959 as commander of RAAF Base Canberra
before again being appointed Director of Personnel Services. Active in local charities and youth organisations, he became a Freemason and in the early 1960s was assistant commissioner for the Canberra
-Monaro Boy Scouts. In January 1964 he assumed command of RAAF Base Townsville
, returning to Canberra that October for assignment to the Department of Air. He died of a heart attack
at his home in Campbell
on 12 October. Survived by his wife and children, Brill was buried in Canberra. He is commemorated by Brill Place, in Gowrie
.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(17 May 1916 – 12 October 1964) was a senior officer and bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF). Born in the Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
district of New South Wales, he was a farmer and a member of the Australian Militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
before joining the RAAF as an air cadet in 1940. Training in Australia and Canada
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
, he was posted to Britain in 1941 to take part in the air war over Europe. Brill first saw combat as a member of No. 460 Squadron RAAF, flying Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
medium bombers. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(DFC) in May 1942 for attacking a target after his plane had been badly damaged by anti-aircraft fire. Following assignment as an instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
with the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF), he returned to the bombing campaign in January 1944 as a flight commander
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
with No. 463 Squadron RAAF, operating Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
heavy bombers.
Brill's leadership and determination to complete his missions despite damage to his aircraft—on one occasion inflicted by another Lancaster's bombs from above—earned him the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. Promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
in May 1944, he took over No. 467 Squadron RAAF after the death in combat of its then-commander, Group Captain John Balmer
John Balmer
John Raeburn Balmer, OBE, DFC was a senior officer and bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Bendigo, Victoria, he studied law before joining the RAAF as an air cadet in 1932...
. Brill was awarded a Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DFC in July, for his skill in evading three German night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
s. Returning to Australia, he remained in the Air Force after the war and commanded No. 10 Squadron
No. 10 Squadron RAAF
No. 10 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The Squadron was first formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War.-Second World War:...
in 1949–50. He went on to lead air bases at Rathmines
RAAF Base Rathmines
RAAF Base Rathmines was a Royal Australian Air Force base located on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.RAAF Base Rathmines was established in 1939 and was the RAAF's main flying boat base during World War II and the early 1950s...
, Canberra
Fairbairn, Canberra
Fairbairn was a base of the Royal Australian Air Force located in Australia's national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Over the years the name of the establishment, and the use of the land, has changed...
and Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville is, along with RAAF Base Tindal and RAAF Base Darwin, one of northern Australia's primary defence installations. It is also Headquarters for No...
during the 1950s and 60s. Brill served two terms as RAAF Director of Personnel Services, in 1956–59 and 1960–63, by which time he had been promoted to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. His final posting was at the Department of Air in Canberra, where he died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in October 1964.
Early life
Brill was born on 17 May 1916 in the RiverinaRiverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
town of Ganmain
Ganmain, New South Wales
Ganmain is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Ganmain is located around north west of Wagga Wagga, and east of Narrandera...
, New South Wales. He was the fourth of seven children of farmer Edward Brill and his wife Bertha, who were originally from Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. The Brills owned a property called "Clearview", and Bill attended the local school. He completed his education at Yanco Agricultural High
Yanco Agricultural High School
Yanco Agricultural High School is a major co-educational agricultural secondary school located in the small town of Yanco in the Local Government Area of Leeton in south western New South Wales...
, gaining his Intermediate Certificate before joining his brothers in wheat farming. Thickly set and physically strong, he was also a keen Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
er, playing for Ganmain, Grong Grong
Grong Grong, New South Wales
Grong Grong is a small town in New South Wales, Australia on the Newell Highway, east of Narrandera in Narrandera Shire. At the 2006 census, Grong Grong had a population of 537 people....
, and Matong
Matong, New South Wales
Matong is a town in the central east part of the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is east from Narrandera and west from Coolamon. At the 2006 census, Matong had a population of 194 people.-Notes and references:...
. On 5 January 1939, Brill enlisted in the 21st Light Horse Regiment, a Militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
unit, at Narrandera. He was promoted to corporal
Corporal
Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
in May. The previous month he had been tested as a potential air cadet, the interview panel finding him a "quiet country chap" who was "rather slow" but "intelligent".
On 11 November 1940, Brill transferred to the RAAF active reserve, known as the Citizen Air Force (CAF). He went through the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
(EATS), undergoing initial instruction at RAAF Bradfield Park
RAAF Bradfield Park
RAAF Bradfield Park was a Royal Australian Air Force station located at Lindfield, New South Wales during World War II.-History:The station was built on the grounds of Bradfield Park in 1940 and housed a number of RAAF and WAAAF units...
in Sydney. Selected to be a pilot, he received his elementary flying training on De Havilland Tiger Moth
De Havilland Tiger Moth
The de Havilland DH 82 Tiger Moth is a 1930s biplane designed by Geoffrey de Havilland and was operated by the Royal Air Force and others as a primary trainer. The Tiger Moth remained in service with the RAF until replaced by the de Havilland Chipmunk in 1952, when many of the surplus aircraft...
s at RAAF Station Narrandera. In March 1941, Brill was posted to Canada for advanced instruction on Avro Anson
Avro Anson
The Avro Anson is a British twin-engine, multi-role aircraft that served with the Royal Air Force, Fleet Air Arm and numerous other air forces prior to, during, and after the Second World War. Named for British Admiral George Anson, it was originally designed for maritime reconnaissance, but was...
s at No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary
RCAF Station Calgary
What is referred to here as RCAF Station Calgary was actually a collection of Royal Canadian Air Force training establishments and other facilities that operated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from the mid-1930s to the mid-1960s....
. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
on 28 July 1941, and sailed to Britain the next month. In October he began converting to Vickers Wellington
Vickers Wellington
The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
medium bombers at No. 27 Operational Training Unit, Lichfield
RAF Lichfield
Royal Air Force Station Lichfield also known as Fradley Aerodrome, was an operational training station from 1940 until 1958. It was situated in Fradley, 2 miles north east of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. The airfield was the busiest airfield in Staffordshire during World War II. The airfield...
, and was assigned to No. 460 Squadron RAAF, which formed at RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth
RAF Molesworth is a Royal Air Force station located near Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom with a history dating back to 1917.Its runway and flight line facilities were closed in 1973 and demolished to support ground-launched cruise missile operations in the early 1980s...
the following month.
First tour of operations
Raised under the Article XVArticle XV squadrons
Article XV squadrons were Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand air force squadrons formed from graduates of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , during World War II....
provisions of EATS, No. 460 Squadron was one of a number of nominally Australian formations taking part in RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
's strategic air campaign against Germany. In January 1942, the unit moved from Molesworth to RAF Breighton, Yorkshire. Brill flew as a co-pilot in No. 460 Squadron's first operation, against the German port of Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
in March. He was soon in command of his own Wellington, attacking targets in northern France. On 5 April 1942, he undertook his first sortie against a well-defended city deep in enemy territory, Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. He later recorded his apprehension before the raid:
On the night of 29/30 May, Brill's was one of 27 aircraft detailed to bomb the Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône
Gnome et Rhône was a major French aircraft engine manufacturer. Between 1914 and 1918 they produced 25,000 of their 9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 hp rotary designs, while another 75,000 were produced by various licensees, powering the majority of aircraft in the first half of the war on...
, Thomson Houston
Thomson-Houston Electric Company
The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was a manufacturing company which was one of the precursors of the General Electric Company.The Thomson-Houston Electric Company was formed in 1883 in the United States when a group of Lynn, Massachusetts investors led by Charles A...
, and Goodrich
Goodrich Corporation
The Goodrich Corporation , formerly the B.F. Goodrich Company, is an American aerospace manufacturing company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. The company name was changed to the "B.F...
factories in the Paris suburb of Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers
Gennevilliers is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:On 9 April 1929, one-fifth of the territory of Gennevilliers was detached and became the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne.-Transport:...
. The crews were required to have good visibility of the target area before bombing, to ensure accuracy and reduce collateral damage. Due to foul weather over the Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, Brill flew at an altitude of less than 200 feet (61 m) until crossing the French coast. The clouds had begun to clear over Paris and searchlights swept the sky, accompanied by heavy anti-aircraft fire. Most of the bombers released their loads from between 4000 and 8000 ft (1,219.2 and 2,438.4 m). Brill, however, dropped to 1500 feet (457.2 m) before making his attack. With the bomb bay doors open, his Wellington was struck by flak, damaging the hydraulics and rear gun turret, and leaving one of the 1000 lb (453.6 kg) bombs hanging after the others dropped on target. Returning to England through more bad weather, he spotted an emergency landing ground and brought the crippled Wellington down with the bomb doors still open and one tyre flat; the plane was later scrapped. Brill's was the only one of four Wellingtons from No. 460 Squadron to find the target area and successfully attack. For his "courage and determination" in pressing home the assault, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
on 26 June, the first pilot in his squadron to be decorated.
Over the following month No. 460 Squadron participated in 1,000-bomber raids against Cologne
Bombing of Cologne in World War II
The City of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II, including 31 times by the Royal Air Force . Air raid alarms went off in the winter/spring of 1940 as enemy bombers passed overhead. However, the first actual bombing took place on 12 May 1940...
, Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
and Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. Brill was promoted to acting Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
in July 1942, and completed his first tour of operations, numbering 31 sorties, on 11 August. He was seconded to the RAF as an instructor in November 1942, returning to No. 27 Operational Training Unit at Lichfield. He spent the next eleven months there, leading a training flight and gaining promotion to acting Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in April 1943. In August, he was best man at the wedding of his friend and fellow RAAF pilot, Arthur Doubleday. The press would come to refer to the pair as the "Flying Twins", as their wartime careers so closely paralleled one another—both men came from the Riverina district, joined the Air Force together on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
1940, arrived in England in August 1941, flew Wellingtons in No. 460 Squadron, volunteered for second tours in Bomber Command, and received many decorations and promotions in tandem. Doubleday would survive the war and later become active in civil aviation.
Second tour of operations
Having volunteered for his second tour, Brill underwent conversion to Handley Page HalifaxHandley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
and Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
heavy bombers in the last months of 1943. In the new year, he was appointed a flight commander in No. 463 Squadron RAAF, operating Lancasters out of RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
, Lincolnshire. Waddington was also home to another Australian squadron, No. 467
No. 467 Squadron RAAF
No. 467 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force bomber squadron during World War II, active in the European Theater of Operations as an Article XV Squadron under command of the Royal Air Force.-History:No...
, and Brill took an active part in the station's raucous mess life. His younger brother Vic, who had joined the RAAF in 1941, was in the same squadron. Brill returned to combat in the middle of the Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin (air)
The Battle of Berlin was a British bombing campaign on Berlin from November 1943 – March 1944. The campaign was not limited solely to Berlin. Other German cities were attacked to prevent concentration of defences in Berlin, and Bomber Command had other responsibilities and operations to conduct...
, flying his first sortie to the "Big City" on 20 January 1944. The statistical likelihood of surviving an operational tour of 30 missions in Bomber Command was never more than 50%, however, during the Battle of Berlin, loss rates were far higher.
Brill took off for his second mission to Berlin on 27 January. The Lancaster he flew was said to be jinxed, possessed of an engine that lost power in the air but always tested well on the ground, and suffering oxygen failure that killed its rear gunner the previous sortie. One of the engines did begin to falter before Brill reached Berlin, forcing him to fly lower than normal. Having released his bombs over target, he felt the plane take several strikes that he assumed were anti-aircraft fire, but were in fact the incendiaries
Incendiary device
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices or incendiary bombs are bombs designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using materials such as napalm, thermite, chlorine trifluoride, or white phosphorus....
of a Lancaster flying above. The nose, rudder controls, and electricals were all severely damaged, and the port
Port and starboard
Port and starboard are nautical terms which refer to the left and right sides, respectively, of a ship or aircraft as perceived by a person on board facing the bow . At night, the port side of a vessel is indicated with a red navigation light and the starboard side with a green one.The starboard...
wing was on fire. Having warned his crew to prepare to bail out, Brill dived the Lancaster and succeeded in putting out the flames. The crew was able to remain on board and, after a nine-hour flight, the plane landed back at Waddington. It was, according to Brill, "not my idea of an evening's entertainment". He flew a total of eleven operations during the Battle of Berlin, including Bomber Command's costliest raid of the war, against Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
in March. On that occasion, one of his engines failed and another was damaged when he had to fly through a cloud of debris from a Lancaster that was blown to pieces directly in his path.
By April 1944, No. 463 Squadron had begun to concentrate on targets in France and Belgium as the Allied air campaign shifted focus from strategic bombing to destroying airfields and disrupting lines of communication prior to the invasion of the continent
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
. On 8 May, Brill was the bombing controller for a raid on an airfield near Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. The controller was required to arrive ahead of the main Allied force, check that flares marking the target were in place, and warn his fellows if they were bombing inaccurately. By the time Brill had completed this task and gone in himself to attack, the ground defences were fully alert and peppered his Lancaster with 140 bullet holes, but he refused to take evasive action until he had delivered his bombload. Promoted to acting Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, Brill assumed control of No. 467 Squadron on 12 May, following the death in combat of its previous commanding officer, Group Captain John Balmer
John Balmer
John Raeburn Balmer, OBE, DFC was a senior officer and bomber pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force . Born in Bendigo, Victoria, he studied law before joining the RAAF as an air cadet in 1932...
. According to the official history of the RAAF in World War II, Brill "proved a very worthy successor to Balmer both in administration and in the dashing type of leadership which had brought the Waddington squadrons to the fore in No. 5 Group
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.-History:The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall....
". He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
on 19 May for "leadership, skill and gallantry of the highest order" and "his determination to make every sortie a success" in spite of frequent damage to his aircraft. Early the next month he led No. 467 Squadron in raids on Axis radar stations in northern France. The unit was in action on D-Day over Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc
Pointe du Hoc is a clifftop location on the coast of Normandy in northern France. It lies 4 miles west of Omaha Beach, and stands on 100 ft tall cliffs overlooking the sea...
and, later, clearing a corridor for Allied troops advancing up the Cherbourg peninsula.
On the night of 4/5 July, Nos. 463 and 467 Squadrons bombed supply depots for V-weapons near Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent
Saint-Leu-d'Esserent is a town in northern France situated on the banks of the river Oise. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise. "Saint Leu" is notable for of mushroom caves under the Thiverny plateau.-History:...
. Brill's Lancaster was attacked by three German night fighter
Night fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
s, but he was able to evade them with only a few bullets striking his plane. His "fine leadership and courage" during the action earned him a Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DFC; the award was promulgated in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 16 January 1945. Brill completed his second tour of operations later in July but stayed on to fly more missions, often mentoring less experienced crews. By now he had earned a reputation for being quite "mad", as he would often "turn around and have a look" at his handiwork after a bombing run, rather than making his escape as quickly as possible. He handed over command of No. 467 Squadron on 12 October 1944, becoming the first man to survive his time as its leader. Brill had flown a total of 58 missions in Bomber Command when he returned to Australia in the new year. He married Ilma Kitto, a teacher, at Ganmain's Methodist Church on 29 January 1945. The couple had been engaged since before the war; they had two sons and a daughter.
Post-war career
Brill remained in the Air Force following the end of hostilities. From February 1946 to August 1947 he served as the first and only commander of the RAAF's newly formed and soon-disbanded Heavy Bomber Crew Conversion Unit at RAAF Station East SaleRAAF Base East Sale
RAAF Base East Sale is one of the main training establishments of the Royal Australian Air Force, including where Australian Air Force Cadets have their annual General Service Training. It is home to the Roulettes aerobatic team. It is also now the home of the RAAF's Officers' Training School ...
, Victoria. Little support or direction on its use as a training facility was forthcoming from higher command, and in the summer months its Avro Lincoln
Avro Lincoln
The Avro Type 694, better known as the Avro Lincoln, was a British four-engined heavy bomber, which first flew on 9 June 1944. Developed from the Avro Lancaster, the first Lincoln variants were known initially as the Lancaster IV and V, but were renamed Lincoln I and II...
bombers were employed in bushfire patrols over East Gippsland
East Gippsland
East Gippsland is the eastern region of Gippsland, Australia covering 31,740 square kilometres of Victoria. It has a population of 80,114....
, reporting 44 outbreaks in February 1947 alone. Brill transferred from the CAF to the Permanent Air Force in 1948, and reverted to the rank of Squadron Leader. In March 1949 he became the inaugural commander of a re-formed No. 10 (General Reconnaissance) Squadron
No. 10 Squadron RAAF
No. 10 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron based at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The Squadron was first formed in 1939 and has seen active service in World War II, East Timor, the War on Terrorism and the 2003 Gulf War.-Second World War:...
, which had been disbanded in 1945 after service throughout World War II. In its new guise the squadron was established from the staff and facilities of RAAF Station Garbutt in Townsville
Townsville, Queensland
Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Australia, in the state of Queensland. Adjacent to the central section of the Great Barrier Reef, it is in the dry tropics region of Queensland. Townsville is Australia's largest urban centre north of the Sunshine Coast, with a 2006 census...
. Brill's main tasks were organising to absorb or close surplus wartime facilities in North Queensland, and preparing No. 10 Squadron for search-and-rescue operations. The unit took delivery of its first four Lincoln Mk
Mark (designation)
The word Mark, followed by number, is a method of specifically designating a standardized, integrated, assumed to be functional and unique version of a mechanical and/or electrical hardware product that has completed the design process and has been approved to be put into final production, as well...
30s in September 1949, and Brill handed over command the following January.
Raised to substantive Wing Commander, Brill served as a director at RAAF Staff College in Point Cook
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
, Victoria, until his appointment as Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sir Donald Hardman
Donald Hardman
Air Chief Marshal Sir James Donald Innes Hardman GBE, KCB, DFC was a senior Royal Air Force commander. He began his flying career as a fighter pilot in World War I, achieving nine victories to become an ace. During World War II, Hardman held staff and operational posts...
, in March 1952. He was posted to command the Officer Training School
Officer Training School RAAF
Officers' Training School is the unit responsible for preparing recruits, senior airmen and Warrant Officers for careers as commissioned officers in the Royal Australian Air Force...
(OTS) at RAAF Base Rathmines
RAAF Base Rathmines
RAAF Base Rathmines was a Royal Australian Air Force base located on Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.RAAF Base Rathmines was established in 1939 and was the RAAF's main flying boat base during World War II and the early 1950s...
, New South Wales, in December 1953. In this role he was also the commanding officer of the base. His title changed in May 1956 as Rathmines and OTS were reorganised under the newly established RAAF School of Ground Training, with Brill taking charge of the school until July. Considered an empathetic leader of men, he then became Director of Personnel Services. Promoted to Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
, Brill served throughout 1959 as commander of RAAF Base Canberra
Fairbairn, Canberra
Fairbairn was a base of the Royal Australian Air Force located in Australia's national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Over the years the name of the establishment, and the use of the land, has changed...
before again being appointed Director of Personnel Services. Active in local charities and youth organisations, he became a Freemason and in the early 1960s was assistant commissioner for the Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
-Monaro Boy Scouts. In January 1964 he assumed command of RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville
RAAF Base Townsville is, along with RAAF Base Tindal and RAAF Base Darwin, one of northern Australia's primary defence installations. It is also Headquarters for No...
, returning to Canberra that October for assignment to the Department of Air. He died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at his home in Campbell
Campbell, Australian Capital Territory
Campbell is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Covering an area to the South East of the central business district, Campbell sits at the base of Mount Ainslie. On Census night 2006, Campbell had a population of 4,797 people...
on 12 October. Survived by his wife and children, Brill was buried in Canberra. He is commemorated by Brill Place, in Gowrie
Gowrie, Australian Capital Territory
Gowrie is a suburb of Canberra, Australia, located in the northern end of the Tuggeranong Valley. Tuggeranong suburbs are the southernmost of Australia's capital city...
.