Bavington, Raymond 'Bavo'
Raymond (Bavo) Eldon Bavington
609 Squadron, RAF
Australia Number 403895
Bavo Bavinton's daughter, Lyn Ryan (nee Bavinton) has contributed a short story on her father, where she poignantly says, " Like so many of my generation, many of the stories our brave fathers who fought in WW 2 shared with their fellows have never been told. In my case I know this is because my father Ray Bavinton (often known as Bavo) never talked about this time in his life, and passed away far too early".
Raymond Eldon Bavinton from Granville NSW enlisted in the RAAF 31-3-1941, Service number 403895.
He spent some time in Canada and the Middle East training and then was stationed in the UK in 19943-44 with the 609 Squadron. He flew in spitfires and typhoon's and was part of the D-Day operation.
During his time there he met a lady called Mary Seeney a hairdresser from Burnley, Lancashire at a dinner party in a friend's house. They only saw each 12 times before they were married 2/10/43. The friendship and camaraderie that Ray formed with two other fellow Australians during his time in England was to last as long as they lived and become part of the Bavinton family life. Ted Eagleton from Sydney and Reg Wellam from Newcastle, also married girls from the UK and returned with their war brides to Australia after they were discharged
Ray remained in England after the war and completed a Textile Manufacturing and Design course, this skill he brought back to his fathers textile mill in Granville, NSW, and a small family business that was to become known as Sylvan Towels.
Lyn said, "Mum would never take us into the city to watch the march. I think it was her way of 'not talking' about those days because she lived through them and would recount stories of her helping to carry bodies after the bombings". We are very aware too that this is the case with many people who lived through this terrifying time in England's history.
Bav Bavington front row: third from left
Bavo Bavington retired young in his early forties and moved to Davistown on the NSW Central Coast. He also suffered with an enlarged heart (eventually accepted as war related illnesses 6 months after he died) he suffered a massive heart attack and passed away on the 26 September 1973, 9 days after his 56th birthday.
We leave his much loved daughter Lyn to finish the tale, "Dad usually didn't return home on ANZAC Day until very late and very "happy". It was one day he wouldn't miss until ill health finally stopped him marching. When we finally owned a TV we would sit glued to it, waiting to see Dad. Now that I have been to Sydney and marched ever so proudly wearing his medals, I now understand how we could never find him amongst the crowd".
Thank you Lyn and God Bless Bavo.
