About this site Contact this site

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in 1920 and lived most of his childhood in Darebin near Ivanhoe in Melbourne.

Attended Ivanhoe State Primary School, then University High for 4 years. 2 years Radio Engineers course, Melbourne Technical College, at night while working during day at Standard Cars as Junior Clerk.

His father (also James Sutherland) died in May 1938 leaving behind a wife and 5 children (4 boys and 1 girl). Jim was the eldest child.

Career Prior to World War II

Was a junior member of the Royal Victorian Aero Club gaining some experience in ground handling of aeroplanes.

October 1937 - Applied for RAF cadetship (too young) and May 1938 giving an interest in planes and travel as reasons. He was selected however turned down offer due to death of father and instead looked to the RAAF.

August 1938 - Applied for RAAF cadetship.

January 16, 1939 - Posted to No. 1 Flying Training School for Elementary Cadet training. Trained with the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) at A.N.A. Essendon Airport and Point Cook training on Gipsy Moths and Hawker Demons.

September 4, 1939 - Posted to No. 1 Flying Training School for Intermediate Cadet training at Point Cook. Tiger Moths.

December 11, 1939 - Posted to No. 21 Squadron for Flying course at Laverton. Trained at Laverton - No. 26 course.

March 3, 1940 - Promoted to Pilot Officer

March 18, 1940 - Posted to No. 2 Squadron Laverton as 2nd Pilot flying Ansons, carrying out seaward reconnaissance from Victoria and South Australia, mainly anti-submarine.

3rd June 1940 - Posted to No 1 Squadron Laverton . 2nd Pilot Hudsons MKI with a small amount of Tiger Moth work.

July 18, 1940 - Embarked on the Orontes for Malaya with part of No 1. Squadron.

1940 - Officially engaged to be married to his sweetheart, Peggy, via mail to her father.

World War II Experience

No 1 Squadron R.A.A.F flying Lockheed Hudsons Mk I initially as 2nd Pilot, then as Captain when promoted January 28, 1942

Fought against Japanese invasion at Kota Bahru, Malaya, December 8 (Local time) 1941 approx one hour prior to Pearl Harbour invasion.

Captured in Java in March 1942. (** Not to be confused with another Jim Sutherland of Melbourne also Japanese POW)

Japanese P.O.W. period (click for further details)

P.O.W. on Burma-Thailand Railway til May-June1944

P.O.W. Singapore til Christmas 1944

P.O.W. on hell ship Awa Maru.

P.O.W. commandant in Japanese Prison Camp #24 at Senryu (Sendyu) near Nagasaki til September 1945.

Arrived back home October 8, 1945.

January 1946 Marries his finance Peggy in the church at the end of his street in Darebin.

RAAF Career after WWII

1946-48 Personal Assistant to Chief of Air Staff RAAF HQ

1951-52 Commanding Officer No 82 (B) Wing at Amberley, QLD

1956-57 Assistant Commandant RAAF College Point Cook, VIC

1957-59 Overseas HQ London see below.

1960-62 Seconded to Dept of Defence - Joint Secretary, Joint Planning Committee and Chiefs of Staff Committee.

1962-1965 - Commanding Officer No Air Trials Unit Woomera SA.

1965-66 Australia's Military Advisor to SEATO, in Bangkok, Thailand.

1967- 1973 Assistant Commandant RAAF Academy Point Cook

1973- Sep 1975 Duty on the National Assessment Staff, Joint Intelligence Organisation, Department Of Defence, Canberra.
June 1973 Appointed Aide-De-Camp to the Queen.

1975 Retired

To be expanded. Jim Sutherland lead an interesting and varied career which included 2 years working for the RAF (via arrangement with the RAAF) at the Air Ministry in London on intelligence duties in the late 1950s, and being sent to Bangkok for 2 years as Australia's military adviser to SEATO in the late 1960s.

He finished Career as Group Captain, at times acted as Air Commodore, with personal family circumstances preventing that being a permanent promotion.

Died August 6, 2007. R.I.P. Always remembered.

Jim Sutherland and Sqdn No 1 were stationed in Malaya prior to the war with Japan. As part of No. 1 Squadron bound for Malaya, Jim (at that time a Pilot Officer) left Australia on July 18, 1940 embarking from Melbourne on the British ship "Orontes" and arrived at Singapore on July 30, 1940. Also on the ship were Flt. Lt C.G.Cleary, Flying Officer R. Dixon, Pilot Officers Dave Hughes, J.G.L. Jones, O.N (Aussie) Diamond, J.L. Pearson and N.R. Thomson and 116 airmen. Another ship, the SS Brattdal had left 3 days earlier, also from Melbourne, and carrying Sergeant A.R.Parkes and 5 other airmen. It reached Singapore on the same day as the "Orontes"

See a Hudson MK III at Temora Aviation Museum Air Display, Temora, NSW February 2008.

Last update: December 22, 2010 Family events exclude much work on this site - for the moment.