Vale and adieu Don. The passing of yet another of the generation of men who served in the RAAF and Bomber Command in WWII is a sad moment. Don got to 97 which is a pretty good innings and he led it seems a full and interesting life which is something to celebrate.
Don's book 'No Moon Tonight' is a classic and one of the first to books about the bombing campaign to come out and candidly tell the story of a crew member in heavy bombers operating under the control of the RAF in WWII. It would not have been an easy book to write but then he did not have it easy as a young bloke either. The uneasy feeling and fear he would have felt knowing no moon tonight meant another trip into hostile skies over Europe gives the title a certain poignancy.
Don Charlwood's later life and work was a success and his role in ATC means he was not just a writer but a figure in the lives of many men and women and their development and education in the world of aviation.
Australia is the lesser for his passing and of that generation.