Allan Ernest Egan

RAAF/RAF Pilot / Flight Lieutenant, NSW Railways Porter / Clerk / Freight Manager

photo: Sydney - the forecourt of a completed building "1 MacQuarie Place" on which design, their son Paul, worked with PTW Architects.

Allan Ernest Egan (aka. Alan) was born on March 18, 1917 in the Murray River town of Albury, the son of Patrick Egan and Jemima Stormont and the youngest of four children. Known as ‘Doughy’ to his friends.

His elder brothers were John M. "Jack" Egan [married Clara Olive Rixon], and Leonard Robert "Len" Egan; sister Leila M "Nina" Egan married John Joseph "Jack" Dallinger.

Allan was physically well coordinated and a confident recreational sportsman. He enjoyed the country life, schooled with the Christiam Brothers and played tennis, golf, swimming, boating. He inherited the excitement of the developing transport industry and his father's and grandfathers' association with trains. Allan's journey was well photographed and we see him on horseback, on bikes and delivering groceries in the "old Essex"(Ford). Mechanical technology and speed driving were popular with his friends and his brothers Jack and Len encouraged an interest with engineering, cars, boats and planes.

On leaving school in 1934, Allan began a career as junior Porter on the local rail station. Three years later at 21, Allan was the youngest man to have held the position of 7th. Grade clerk with the railways of New South Wales, at the time.

On the 21^st. Oct 1941, at 24 years of age, Allan married Ivy May Luck in (Church Street) Blayney, New South Wales, Australia.

Ivy (b.10 Oct 1919) was the daughter of Donald Wallace Luck and Elsie Evelyn Ryan of Blayney, New South Wales, Australia .

Allan Egan - Active Service 1941 - 1946

On deployment in 1941, Allan sailed aboard the SS Monterey, an American luxury ocean liner launched on 10 October 1931 and one of four ships in the Matson Lines known as the "White Fleet".

In the penned words of his friend, I quote an amended extract of: "The Hollow Log" by Pilot Officer, Robert Hollow RAAF.:- "America had not yet entered the war with Germany and the ship was lit up at night. The ship (RSS Monterey) called into Auckland, Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii. At every place we visited there were people to take us sight seeing and to entertain us. At Hawaii we saw Pearl Harbour with all the warships and it was just a week before it was bombed by the Japanese. When we arrived there, quite a few aircraft flew around our ship to welcome us. We landed in America at San Francisco and marched through the city to Oakland where we boarded a train for Vancouver in Canada."

Allan initially trained on Cesna aircraft and received his pilot qualification "Wings"on 27 Mar 1942, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He proceeded into Active Service on secondment with the British RAF in England and flew on 21 missions over Europe. (See complete tour - F/S A E Egan and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943 – Pilot)

After 30 months with the RAF, ending at Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire, England, the Lancaster bomber he piloted, was shot down over Germany - Failed to Return - 25th/26th June 1943 - Avro Lancaster - ED528 – Op Gelsenkirken.

Allan became a prisoner of war for a further two years (name "Allan E Egan" appears on Lists of "Personnel Held as Prisoners of War in Germany or German-Occupied Territory" - collection is available online and held by the National Archives, Kew, London, England), under: Air 40 Rolls of POWs and 392/ Imperial Prisoners of War Held in Germany or German-Occupied Territory: Air Forces:

• AIR 40/267 - Pilot Officer. Stalag Luft III (East).

• AIR 40/1488 - Pilot Officer held in Stalag Luft III (East). (Nominal Roll of POWs and Recommendations for Meritorious Work).

• AIR 392/18 - Pilot Officer. (Imperial Prisoners of War Held in Germany or German-Occupied Territory: Air Forces).

• AIR 40/276 - Pilot Officer held in Stalag Luft III (East).

• AIR 40/1491 - Pilot Officer held in Stalag Luft III (East). (Nominal Roll of POWs and Recommendations for Meritorious Work, Report on Camp Conditions).

• AIR 40/276 - Stalag 357 (Nominal Rolls, Promotions etc.).

• AIR 40/276 - Flight Sergeant. Stalag 357.

On return from active service to Australia and on demobilisation, Allan's war service comprised 4 years 6 months, and he left the RAAF / RAF on 10^th. January 1946. He had learnt the rules of discipline and duty, management and friendship, rising further to his final rank as a commissioned officer at the order of Flight Lieutenant. War Service with the RAAF further awarded him the 1939-1945 Star, Aircrew Europe Star and Defence Medal and the Flying Badge.

Allan was hoping to continue flying in commercial service, however he conceded to the homecoming desire of his wife, Eve to remain on the ground near home so he was reemplyed with the Public Transport Commission and took up the offer of a house and position in the border town of Tocumwal, New South Wales. In 1952 Allan took up a posting with Rail Freight services and settled in Blakehurst, Sydney where they remained for 28 years, in a secure environment and educated their three children in a genteel manner, following the tradition of Catholic schools in the area. The Egan's established a circle of lifelong friends and extended family members with whom they extended their homes, as a hub for social gathering. The suburban lifestyle was documented by Allan's photographic records and that of his brother in law Jack Dallinger.

From a junior porter in Albury 1938, Allan continued a family tradition beginning a century earlier and finished his career as Freight Trains Manager (Livestock) in 1979 after 41 years with the Public Transport Commission of NSW. It could be said that he served his country well in peace and war with strong personal values, good humour and great warmth combining a touch of the country larrikin with a devoted and diligent sense of responsibility to his family and his position at work.

My father when in his 70s was featured in a video tape, “I never had any ambitions, I just took it as it comes”. Refer: video on flickR - Al's Story and on Google drive.

Allan's War service may have provided him the character discipline that made his work with the public service such an achievement and he was rewarded by rising through the ranks of the Public Transport system. Both his ethics and emotional maturity together with a marriage to such a good woman in Eve Egan (Ivy), enabled him to establish a family home with adequate provision for amenities and a healthy outgoing charitable life. The inner sanctum and heart of family life, provided security in building the character of future generations by instilling Christian values and a respect for education together with reliance on continual learning.

As with many post conflict families, their children developed during peacetime revolutions in both freedom for individuals and a reassessment of the power of existing orders in our social contracts in light of contemporary humanist values and an eventual multi-cultural outlook.