Flying Boats Took

A Brett Hilder Profile

Flying Boats Took Sid To Lord Howe

Sid Morgan, of Lord Howe Island, has just returned home with his wife after a long trip around New Guinea in the Malaita.

THEY viewed many islands, big and small, but didn’t find one half as nice as their happy little home island.

Sid was born in Birmingham, Eng land, in 1906, and went to South Australia with his parents in 1912.

His father returned to England to serve in the 10th Battalion, and Sid and his mother followed.

They returned to South Australia in 1916, and Sid went to the Pult eney Grammar School in Adelaide.

Sid’s father died in 1920, as a result of being gassed in the war, and Sid then served his time in engineering with the Adelaide Municipal Tram ways Trust. In 1935 he married lola Wills, and they have two daughters and a son.

In November, 1939, Sid joined the RAAF at Laverton, Victoria, as an engineer n.c.0., serving with EFTS for half the war. Then he went to the flying-boat maintenance squad rons. With the “boats” he was sta tioned at Lake Boga under “Scotty”

Allan, and later at East Arm, Darwin.

In between he had a six-week posting to the flying-boat base in Noumea. He also had one flight to Lord Howe Island.

Immediately after the war, he be came interested in the different schemes to start a flying boat service to Lord Howe. Then he decided to settle on the island, and arrived there with his family on January 1, 1946.

He finds plenty of employment in small engineering jobs, and is also busy in the various clubs —being pre sident of the R.S.L. and a keen bowler. He and his wife are very popular residents of the happy holi

day island.-

Brett Hilder.