Wikipedia:WikiProject Military history/Assessment/Wilfred Arthur

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The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Promoted: AustralianRupert (talk) 07:11, 11 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Wilfred Arthur[edit]

Nominator(s): Ian Rose (talk)


One of Australia's most interesting fighter aces of World War II, "Woof" Arthur was not only, at 24, the youngest group captain in the RAAF's history, but also the prime force behind the "Morotai Mutiny" of April 1945, when eight senior pilots refused to continue to undertake what they saw as pointless operations in the South West Pacific. Doubt that I'll progress this article to FAC, but I believe we have enough depth of coverage for A-Class. Tks/cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 04:46, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Comments As usual, this is great work Ian. I have the following comments:

  • "his brother, who was serving as a military policeman in Bierut and who was later killed in New Guinea" - the repeated use of 'who' make this a bit convoluted. I'd suggest noting his brother's death later in the article
    • Tks for that suggestion, I originally kept it all together because the interview didn't mention the date (not even the year) of his brother's death so it was hard to know where to put it. You've prompted me to go searching for him on the AWM's Roll of Honour, which gave me his name, as well as his unit and date of death. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • "The couple had four children" - I'd suggest adding an 'eventually' in here given that they'd only known each other for a few months at this time!
  • Can you say anything about what Lucille was doing in wartime Egypt?
    • Well it sounds like she was a local, as Wilf said her parents couldn't speak English well. With a name like that, perhaps she was French Arab, but that's just speculation... Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • I presume that none of the sources say why Arthur was so quickly posted to a frontline unit after he returned to Australia? (though the reason is pretty obvious given the dire situation at the time). In lieu of this, you could briefly note the circumstances in which no 76 Squadron was formed.
  • "In April 1945, having recently assumed command of No. 1 TAF's No. 78 Wing," - this slightly repeats the preceding sentence
    • Um, does it? Previous sentence mentioned his command of No. 81 Wing, or did I miss something? Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • "Arthur remained in command of No. 78 Wing for the Battle of Tarakan in May 1945" - did he retain the position until the end of the war?
    • No, he did hand over command later in May but appears to have stayed on Tarakan until the end of the war. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • Further on this, the RAAF conference record OBOE - Air Operations Over Borneo 1945 (available from the Air Power Development Centre's website) states that Arthur was appointed the Task Force Commander for the Tarakan operation, though it doesn't say anything else about him. Peter Stanley's excellent book on this battle doesn't mention Arthur in its index, so I guess didn't take the blame for the problems which beset the RAAF operations on the island.
    • I think I saw that but thought I wouldn't add it without more detail... Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
      • Fair enough: 'Task Force Commander' sounds impressive, but goodness knows what it involved (looking at a muddy ruined airfield much of the time I suspect given what happened on Tarakan) Nick-D (talk) 10:27, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • According to the NAA you can link 'Repatriation Department' to Department of Veterans' Affairs (Australia)
  • I don't think that you'd need much extra to get this to FA class - one or two good references on his post-war life would do the trick if they ever turn up. Nick-D (talk) 10:04, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
    • There's the rub -- but I'll keep a look out... ;-) Tks for review as always. Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 14:18, 22 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Support My above comments have now been addressed Nick-D (talk) 10:27, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Tks Nick! Cheers, Ian Rose (talk) 10:37, 23 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support
    • "a veteran of World War I who had served overseas for the duration of the conflict." mumble mumble. Stan (AAVC: No. 43) let Australia ion December 1914 and returned on Anzac leave in September 1918. He arrived back after the armistice so... yeah, okay, but better to say "most of the conflict". (Any reason you don't name him?)
    • Is it true that he married Lucille on a troopship while disguised as a member of the 2nd AIF? (Herald May 3, 1966, p. 3)
    • Her maiden name was Petraki, btw
  • Cheers! Hawkeye7 (talk) 21:07, 31 October 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Comments. - Dank (push to talk)

  • "where he matriculated.": Not following. Maybe: "He then matriculated at The Scots College in Warwick and spent four-and-a-half years there."
    • Dan, that makes no sense. Matriculation was the examination at the end of high school year 12. Back then, people normally graduated from high school at the end of what we now call year 11 (for which you received a "Leaving" certificate). However, if you intended to go on to university (few people did) then you did an extra year, after which you sat the matriculation examination, which was set by the universities. Arthur planned to study medicine, so he did year 12. He intended to go back to university after the war but for some reason never did. He only attended Scots for 4½ years instead of six because he started high school elsewhere, then entered Scots as a boarder. An Australian reader would notice from the article that the RAAF accepted him on the basis of his Leaving certificate. So, to return to the grammar, he went to Scots for 4½ years and then matriculated. Hawkeye7 (talk) 02:09, 2 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • "Bierut": Beirut?
    • Typo. I've corrected this while I was at it. Hawkeye7 (talk) 02:09, 2 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
  • Support on prose per standard disclaimer. - Dank (push to talk) 01:39, 2 November 2012 (UTC)[reply]
The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page, such as the current discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.
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