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DOLLEY Bernard "Bernie" Stanley

Bernard known as "Bernie" was born in Gnowangerup in 1921, son of Stan and Mabel Dolley. Stan served in WWI.
Bernie had three sisters:
Evelyn G. married Francis W. Jones in 1944.
Marion J. married Leslie Fletcher in 1951.
Enid S. married Malcolm B. W. Mair in 1952.
He attended school at Jackitup where his parents had taken up a farm they named ‘Slab Rock’.
On completing Junior School Bernie attended Bunbury High School.
Bernie was working in Gnowangerup prior to the WWII. He enlisted in Perth, giving his father as his next of kin.
Bernie trained as a Wireless Air Gunner Flying Officer and served in Darwin and the Pacific Islands.

BERNARD STAMLEY DOLLEY               #1

PILOT - OFFICER RAAF BERNARD DOLLEY WITH HIS BRIDE
FORMERLY SGT EVELYN JONES WAAAF
WITH FLYING OFFICER WILLIAM DePASSEY & MISS IRIS JONES    #3
 

He was discharged after the war and holds the 1939-45 Star and the Pacific Star and the 1939-45 War Medal.
Bernie married Evelyn nee Jones in 1945 at St. John's Church in her home town of Ballarat, Victoria and they had three children: Joanne, Pamela and Lynette.
Bernie enjoyed cricket, bowls, golf and fishing.
Bernie died in 1995 and is buried in the Gnowangerup Cemetery.

Merilym Stewart believes Bernie was a friend/compatriot of Flight Sergeant T. Wallace of Perth and Flight Officers W. de Passey and Colin Hair (both from Kalgoorlie) and R. Kagi of Nedlands. There were 2 newspaper items given to her by Evelyn and they are shared below:

Item 1: “KOEPANG HIT.
DUTCH PATHFINDERS.
W.A. Airmen Participate.
(From Our Special Representative.)
SOMEWHERE IN AUSTRALIA,

April 18.-Dutch-manned Mitchell aircraft were used for the first time as Pathfinders for Australian medium bombers in the severe pounding of Koepang, capital of Dutch timor, on Sunday.
More than 25 tons of bombs were dropped on the target, which was brilliantly lit by incendiaries.
Considerable devastation was caused.
The raid was made by Australian- built Beauforts and Mitchells.
The target selected was on the foreshore of Koepang and is one of the biggest Japanese bases in Timor. After a good landfall on the south coast two Mitchells climbed and flew straight to the target.
Meanwhile the Beauforts circled high near the coast until the Mitchells dropped incendiaries and illuminated the whole area.
Within a few minutes the Beauforts in four waves dropped many high explosives and they were followed over the area by other Mitchell aircraft from which fragmentation bombs were dropped.
The whole target was left in a mass of flames after an hour of pounding.
Navigators and observers said they saw several large buildings on fire and a series of explosions from ammunition dumps and ack-ack batteries.
All the aircraft returned to base. The pilots included F/Officer R. Kagi, of Nedlands (WA), F/0 Colin Hair and F/Officer W. de Passey, both of Kalgoorlie, and FIt-Sgt T. Wallace, of Perth”.

 

 BERNARD STAMLEY DOLLEY               #3
 

BERNARD STAMLEY DOLLEY               #4
 

Item 2: “RECORD RAID ON KOEPANG
War Correspondent James O'Connor

Koepang, capital of Dutch Timor, received its heaviest pounding of the war at 4 a.m. on Sunday when Aus-tralian-built Beauforts and Dutch-manned Mitchell medium bombers under RAAF Command dropped more than 25 tons of high explosives.
Success of the raid was mainly due to the use of two Mitchell aircraft as Pathfinders.
It was the first time that Dutch fliers have been used te illuminate a target for Australian bombers.
Allied aircraft were over the area for nearly an hour, and at the end of the raid the Pathfinders returned to drop more incendiaries to help the fires.
Warehouses, stores and administrative blocks were set on fire, and there was a series of explosions indicating that ammunition dumps had been hit.
West Australians who took part in the raid included F/O Col. Hair of Kalgoorlie, F/O W. de Passey, of Kalgoorlie and Flight.-Sergt T. Wallace, of Perth.
The airmen covered more than 1000 miles-the longest flight yet undertaken by the unit.
All aircraft returned safely.
F/O de Passey, who arrived late over the target said that when he dropped his bombs he observed large fires.
Australian-based Beaufighters made another strafing raid on shipping at Dutch Timor and destroyed three luggers. Two other luggers were extensively damaged and four more were left burning”.
W. de Passey was groomsman at Bernie and Evelyn’s wedding.
Flight Sergeant Wallace was later killed during a military operation.

 

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

 

References:                 Article:        Evelyn Dolley
                                                   Lynette Dolley

                                  Image:      1, 3, 4           Evelyn Dolley
                                                   2                  Glen Olver

 

Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2025