Jack Davenport

Jack Napier Davenport (9 June 1920 - 2 January 1996) was an Australian air force officer and business executive. Early life Davenport was born in the Sydney suburb of Rose Bay, New South Wales in 1920. He attended North Bondi Public School and then Sydney Boys High School. He commenced employment with the Commonwealth Bank as a clerk in 1936. Military career After joining the Citizen Military Force, Davenport was posted to the 30th Battalion (New South Wales Scottish Regiment) in 1939. At the outbreak of World War II, Davenport became a sergeant instructor for the Second Australian Imperial Force but later joined the Royal Australian Air Force in January 1941, qualifying as a pilot under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Commissioned in 1941 and promoted to flying officer in March 1942, Davenport joined the RAAF's No. 455 Squadron, flying Handley Page Hampden bombers in raids on Germany and carrying out anti-shipping strikes after the squadron transferred to RAF Coastal Command.