MAURICE St George Middleton was born on April 23, 1918 at Silverspur in Queensland. The third son of Edwin and Lillian Middleton, and brother to Ventris, Claude, Roy and Elizabeth.

The family moved to the town of Texas where Maurice received his early education and proved to be an excellent student showing plenty of academic ability.

In 1932 at the age of 14, Maurice's parents chose to enrol him at the Scots College in Warwick to further his education.

While at the college he experienced outstanding success in his studies and on the playing fields.

He was an excellent field athlete in the high jump and in his first year at Scots he won the event and went on to represent in the All Schools Championships as a member of the Appel Cup team where he finished in a creditable third place.

Maurice loved rugby and was a member of the College First XV Kyawanna Cup team in 1933.

Maurice never let sport interfere with his studies and passed his Junior Certificate in 1933 with two As, two Bs, and one C.

This excellent result allowed Maurice to gain entry to Brisbane's Kelvin Grove Teachers' College in 1934.

He studied hard and completed his Senior Certificate as well as completing part-time subjects at the University of Queensland towards a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Maurice began his teaching career at the relatively young age of 19, and taught in Biloela, Limevale, and in the Kilcoy district.

He left the Queensland Education Department and was teaching in Darwin, a place that he loved, when war broke out and he decided to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940 to undertake aircrew training.

Maurice was sent to Brisbane to begin his pilot training at No.1 Initial Flying Training School and became such an excellent pilot that he was immediately selected to become a flying instructor, and was posted to Urinquinty, the RAAF's Flying School near Wagga Wagga, in New South Wales.

It was at a hotel in Wagga that Maurice's life changed forever when he met a young woman named Mary, who preferred to be called by her nickname, Mollie.

Maurice invited Mollie to join him at the piano, as both were very musically minded and loved singing around the keyboard.

Romance blossomed and they were married in Sydney in July 1940, before Maurice was posted to Melbourne to instruct at RAAF Point Cook Flying Training School.

Maurice and Mary were blessed with a baby daughter named Patricia in July 1943, just before Maurice was now promoted to Flying Officer and posted to the RAAF Flying Training School at Tamworth to undertake an advanced instructor's course. Although Maurice would have loved a posting to combat duties, it was RAAF policy to use their best instructors to train the increasing number of young pilots being enlisted as the war intensified.

Instructing young pilots was a hazardous occupation and there was a high risk involved.

On Sunday, November 14, 1943, Maurice took off with Flying Officer Mutton on a regulation training flight when not long after the aircraft was seen by eye witnesses to be experiencing difficulties.

It came in low and crashed in a paddock.

A rescue team found the plane extensively damaged and both pilots had died on impact.

An inquest never really found out what happened but it appeared that engine fault was the main cause.

Flying Officer Maurice St George Middleton died in the service of his country on that fateful day in November and was buried with full military honours at the Tamworth War Cemetery.

Maurice Middleton gave his life so that we who are left can enjoy the freedom that we have so let us honour him.

Lest We Forget.