Peter Waugh, second son and fourth child of John Wallace Hope Waugh and Mary Ashton née Blake, always wanted to fly. He left school at 15 for an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner at Cockatoo Island, which was the main ship repair facility in the SW Pacific during WW II.
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In 1946, he applied to become an Air Force engineer and after three months in Wagga, he was selected for an instrument makers’ course, then did work experience on planes at Richmond.
His nickname in the Air Force was ‘Blue’ because he had red hair. The first plane he flew was a Tiger Moth at Wagga in 1947.
“Posted back to Wagga to finish my Instrument Fitter’s course, I applied for air crew and got in! After a short link trainer maintenance mechanic course at Sale, I suddenly found I was on my way to Point Cook for an 18-month pilot training course starting in August 1949.
“My flying training started in Tiger Moths. After ten hours with instructors I went solo in January 1950. I did 62 hours over six weeks - sometimes low, ‘chasing chooks’ around Bankstown. In June I graduated to Wirraways - much bigger, much more sophisticated, much more modern.”
At the beginning of 1952, Peter was posted to the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces in Japan for nine months during the Korean War, usually flying from Japan to Korea carrying troops and ammo over and wounded troops back. After Korea, he was at Richmond, East Sale, then Uranquinty training pilots on Tiger Moths and Wirraways up to the basic flying stage. After 18 months at Uranquinty, he went to Rathmines for 40 National Service trainees.
Peter married Anne in 1957 and they had a son, David in 1958 and a daughter, Catherine in 1960. Peter became a Qantas pilot, and later a 747 Jumbo captain. He retired in 1983. The family moved on to a 2750-acre farm at Guyra, running sheep and cattle. In 1999, they downsized to 280 acres at Moripo on the Oxley Highway, and eight years later, to Koree Island Road where they had alpacas.
‘Old pilots never die; they just pass on to a new plane.’
Jean Hegarty, with thanks to Anne and Peter Waugh. (The daSilva comes from a female Portuguese ancestor!)