William Bostock

Biography

Air Vice Marshal William Dowling Bostock (5 February 1892 – 28 April 1968) was a senior leader in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), with a career spanning two world wars. After his military service, he worked as a journalist and politician. Born in Surry Hills, New South Wales, and educated at The School, Mount Victoria, Bostock served in various roles during his nearly three decades in the military, before retiring to enter public life. He passed away in Benalla, Victoria, on 28 April 1968.

Bostock began his military career as a soldier in the Australian Imperial Force during World War I, fighting at Gallipoli before moving to the Royal Flying Corps and serving on the Western Front. His work as a pilot earned him the Belgian Croix de guerre, starting a long connection with military aviation. He joined the RAAF in 1921 and moved up the ranks over the next two decades. He was Director of Training from 1930 to 1931, led No. 3 Squadron from 1931 to 1936, and was Director of Operations and Intelligence from 1938 to 1939. By 1941, he was the third most senior officer in the RAAF, working as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff when World War II began.

In 1942, Bostock was a leading candidate for Chief of the Air Staff, but Air Commodore George Jones, a friend for twenty years, got the position instead. Bostock was appointed Air Officer Commanding RAAF Command, the main operational group responsible for defending Australia and carrying out air attacks against Japanese targets in the South West Pacific Area. Under his leadership, the RAAF played a key role in the Pacific campaign. General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of Allied forces in the region, called Bostock 'one of the world's most successful airmen.' His efforts earned him the Distinguished Service Order in 1948 and the American Medal of Freedom.

Despite his successes, Bostock's time during the war was stained by a long and bitter conflict with Chief of the Air Staff George Jones over who controlled RAAF operations in the South West Pacific. This disagreement involved senior government officials and continued through much of the war, affecting his later service and causing tensions within the Air Force leadership. Bostock retired from the RAAF in 1946 and later worked as a journalist before entering federal politics as a Member of Parliament. He was honored as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1935 and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1942, along with his later Distinguished Service Order.