Vale Group Captain James (Jim) Morrison
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Vale Group Captain James (Jim) Morrison
For any one who is interested Group Captain James McClean Morrison (Big Jim) passed away on the 12th January 2015 just a few weeks short of his 90th birthday.
After joining the RAAF in 1943 and flying Wirraways he served in Korea as a medical aviator in Meteors in 77 Squadron and was life long mates with Sqn Ldr Dick Cresswell. Apparently pioneered the use by the RAAF of G suits after flying himself and working with pilots blacking out in high G turns. Obviously other areas were researching this phenomenon at the time and earlier, but this was mentioned during his funeral service which has held at Bribie Is QLD on Monday, and he was credited for pushing for its use in the RAAF. He was Mentioned in Dispatches numerous times during his war service in Korea.
Jim continued in the RAAF at various postings around the world in his role of aviation medicine including time with the USAF and NASA, where he advised on the nacent space program and medically cleared a number of astronauts for space flight including for the first space walk.
He retired from the RAAF and was appointed to head the Aviation Medical part of DOTC (whatever it was called then) when they moved to Canberra from Melbourne in 1980, and continued in this role for five years building a competent staff around him. After this time he went back to the RAAF in a number of advisory roles until he retired to Queensland.
A man or enormous talent, intellect and physical size who was well know for his love of red wine, jazz and cigars. Quite influential on me as young child, I remember him visiting us when I was about eight years old and his driver drawing me (what seemed at the time) a perfect picture of an English Electric Lightning. Vale Big Jim.
After joining the RAAF in 1943 and flying Wirraways he served in Korea as a medical aviator in Meteors in 77 Squadron and was life long mates with Sqn Ldr Dick Cresswell. Apparently pioneered the use by the RAAF of G suits after flying himself and working with pilots blacking out in high G turns. Obviously other areas were researching this phenomenon at the time and earlier, but this was mentioned during his funeral service which has held at Bribie Is QLD on Monday, and he was credited for pushing for its use in the RAAF. He was Mentioned in Dispatches numerous times during his war service in Korea.
Jim continued in the RAAF at various postings around the world in his role of aviation medicine including time with the USAF and NASA, where he advised on the nacent space program and medically cleared a number of astronauts for space flight including for the first space walk.
He retired from the RAAF and was appointed to head the Aviation Medical part of DOTC (whatever it was called then) when they moved to Canberra from Melbourne in 1980, and continued in this role for five years building a competent staff around him. After this time he went back to the RAAF in a number of advisory roles until he retired to Queensland.
A man or enormous talent, intellect and physical size who was well know for his love of red wine, jazz and cigars. Quite influential on me as young child, I remember him visiting us when I was about eight years old and his driver drawing me (what seemed at the time) a perfect picture of an English Electric Lightning. Vale Big Jim.
Last edited by walschaert valve; 20th Jan 2015 at 22:27. Reason: wrote 2014 instead of 2015
