Dereck Jack French, DFC* RIP

Kyt · Jul 11, 2008

Disillusioned war hero turned his attention to the land and its people | theage.com.au

Dereck Jack French, DFC & BAR
Pilot, farmer
December 16, 1915 - June 18, 2008

JACK French, the first Australian airman to be decorated for valour in World War II, has died, aged 92, of a heart attack in his home at Frankston Long Island Village.

French survived an amazing 4½ operational tours with five squadrons in Europe, Asia and the Middle East and was wounded several times.

A forthright individual who was unafraid to express an opinion to a superior officer, which led to clashes with higher authority, he was a superb pilot held in the highest regard by his crews.

French returned from the war disillusioned, albeit having twice been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and left with the rank of wing commander.

He completed a short course in agriculture at Werribee, then turned his back on Melbourne to become a dairy farmer on the Murray River near Swan Hill. His new life kept him close to the land and its indigenous people.

French was born in Brunswick and joined the RAAF in 1935. He trained as a pilot at Point Cook, and was sent to Britain before the outbreak of World War II to fly with 50 Squadron, initially in old Hawk and Hind biplanes. When the war began, he was given less than four hours night flying and sent into action on Bomber Command's first night attack in March 1940, against the German seaplane base at Hornum.

He was later wounded by shrapnel when flying mistakenly over the Rhine, and after a meeting with the chief of Bomber Command, Arthur "Bomber" Harris, became one of the first pilots of the infamous Avro Manchester. It was an aircraft dogged by chronic engine troubles, and was known to disintegrate mid-air. French said the fear at the pre-flight briefing created "a strange, sour smell that hung in the room".

Returning to Australia from Burma after six years away, in 1944 he married Barbara Rigg after a whirlwind courtship.

French had begun an engineering degree before the war, but then he turned to farming. He developed an intense interest in conservation and sustainable farming practices, evident in his success as an innovative farmer. He was an active member of the local field naturalists club and escaped on his own to remote parts of Australia to pursue interests in geology, archaeology, natural and Aboriginal history.

During several of these trips he navigated the full length of the Murray River in a 3.6-metre tinnie, camping along the way.

He was an avid reader and meticulous record keeper. At the age of 15 he had developed a genealogy chart that he continued to update throughout his life. He also researched local Aboriginal culture on his trips away, communicated with indigenous communities and wrote several articles on his findings.

At age 55, he and Barbara retired to live beside Lake Nagambie, in central Victoria. During this time he was in constant contact with researchers and writers who were interested in his war experiences. Much of this material has appeared in texts and videos. He spent his final seven years at Frankston Long Island Village, where he remained mentally alert and passionate about current issues — and had an opinion on everything.

He is survived by Barbara, their daughters, Sue, Pam, Rooney and Chris, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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Kyt · Jul 11, 2008

DFC 19 April 1940

Flying Officer Dereck Jack FRENCH (36129).
Pilot Officer William Arthur Coote MULLOY (40636).
Flying Officer French successfully attacked, in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire, a German cruiser in the Bergen roadstead, enabling his navigator and bomb aimer, Pilot Officer Mulloy, to secure a direct hit on the cruiser.. This operation necessitated more than 1,000 miles flying over the sea.

Bar to DFC 26 June 1942

Squadron Leader Dereck Jack FRENCH, D.F.C. (36129), No. 455 Squadron

http://ww2chat.com/forums/biographies/1043-w-c-dereck-jack-french-dfc-bar.html

Antipodean Andy · Jul 13, 2008

I know this name from somewhere. I think he featured in Michael Veitch's Flak.

Navigating the Murray River in a tinnie is no mean feat either. Wouldn't mind doing it myself. A man of adventure was Mr French! RIP.

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