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William Ronald Cundy DFC DFM 1922-2019

    World War 11 ace pilot

 William Ronald Cundy, known as Ron, was born on 22 February 1922 at Moonan Flat, 60 km north-east of Scone in NSW. He was the son of George Herbert Sommerville Cundy and his wife Margaret nee Wills.

George Cundy had been born at Walcha NSW in 1887 (RN31782), the son of William Cundy, a grazier, and his wife Letitia, nee Stevens. On 22 August 1914 George enlisted in the Australian 1st Light Horse regiment and embarked from Sydney. During his service in France in 1918 he was awarded the Military Cross ‘for great gallantry and devotion to duty’. He returned to Australia and in 1920 at Scone married Margaret A Wills (RN7951) and resumed life as a grazier. He re-enlisted during WWII and was serving as a Captain in the 9th Division in Alexandria in 1942 when he met up with his son Flight Lieutenant William Ronald Cundy.

Margaret Cundy died in 1945(RN5666) and in 1947 George Cundy married Ira Eveline Mychael(RN24190) nee Caslick(1894-1978). They lived in Tempe and after George died on 7 May 1966 his ashes were interred at St Peter’s Church, Cooks River.

Ron Cundy was determined to be a pilot from the time he was a very young child and in1940 was able to persuade his parents to allow him to join the RAAF. He first trained at Narrandera NSW then went to Canada where he became a Sergeant Pilot. He was then sent to England and posted to 135 Squadron stationed at Honiley near Coventry. During WWII he flew with RAF’s 260 Squadron and RAAF’s 452 Squadron during the defence of Darwin. He was mentioned in despatches and awarded the DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) and DCM (Distinguished Conduct Medal) for gallantry and devotion in bombing operations over Tobruk and the Middle East. He is credited as an ‘Ace’ with five-and-a-half enemy aircraft shot down. Ron was a member of the Spitfire Association.

On 30 September 1944, Ron Cundy married Gweneth Virgina Walsh at Randwick(RN24987). They lived at Coogee until 1948 but had moved to Caringbah in the Sutherland Shire by 1954. They had three daughters – Pamela, Diane and Karen.

After leaving school and prior to enlistment, Ron worked in the Public Service and, after the war he worked in the Register General’s Department and when he retired in 1982 he was the State Electoral Commissioner for NSW.

Gwen Cundy died on 21 April 2019 and Ron died only three months later on 22 July. His funeral was held at St Paul’s Church of England, Menai. He was cremated at Woronora Cemetery and survived by daughters Pamela and Karen, nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

Colleen Passfield 2019

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