The Pilot Above Balikpapan

I'm proud to honour my grandfather Layton Marshall King who served as a Flight Engineer in an American-made B24 Liberator squadron in the Pacific Ocean theatre, during the Second World War.

Throughout the Pacific War pilots of the Royal Australian Air Force put up a heroic fight against both branches of the Empire of Japan's air forces, then split between the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service and the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service.

One dangerous mission Layton Marshall King took part in was a raid over Balikpapan in 1945 to support the Allied troops below, who were fighting their way ashore as part of a brutal amphibious assault. He took a photo from the air of the Australians landing at Balikpapan, his own brother in law was amongst the troops hitting the beaches.

By Sam King