Date of Birth :
12 April 1916
Place of Birth :
Auburn, New South Wales
Father :
John Laing
Mother :
Edith Loise Laing (nee Nicholls)
Religion :
C of E
Education :
Technical
Age at Enlistment :
25
Address at Enlistment :
Enfield, New South Wales
Employment before Enlistment :
Bennett & Wood Ltd, Sydney, Cycle Mechanic
Service before Enlistment :
No. 58 Maintenance Unit, Fitter IIA
Sport :
Cricket, Football
Enlisted :
22 Apri 1940
Place Enlisted :
No. 2 Recruiting Centre RAAF, Woolloomooloo
Service Number :
14626
Arrived in UK :
July 1941
Sergeant :
24 July 1944
Posted to NO. 4 (COASTAL) OTU :
13 November 1944
Duties :
Flight Engineer
Presumed Dead :
14 January 1945
Age when Presumed Dead :
28
Recovered from the Sea :
6 May 1945
Commemorated :
Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, UK
From Jack's niece, Denise
Charles was known to his family as Jack.
He was his parents' third child; the only one born in Australia. Jack's older sister, Madge, was born in England and his brother, Wilfred, in Canada.
Being short in stature was no impediment to Jack. He was very athletic. On weekends, he and his brother
loved riding their push bikes from their Croydon Park home to
Wollongong, around 55 miles south-east of Sydney.
Jack was a very good son to his Mother, his Father having been often unwell from his own service in WWI.
He loved visiting his grandparents as often as he could to
help at their cherry orchard in Young, New South Wales.
Jack was engaged to be married before going to the War.
I remember my Uncle Jack as very caring and loving.
Sergent Jack Laing
Sergeant Laing meets Winnie
Jack is rightmost
With "best mate" Bill Freudenstein
Jack was Bill's Best Man at his UK wedding
Jack and a Sunderland
Sergeant Laing's funeral procession
May 1945
Sergeant Laing's initial grave at Harrogate Cemetery
1945
