John Utting
Published on: 10 December 2014
Obituary
John Utting (1938), the second oldest old boy passed away peacefully on November 29, aged 93 surrounded by family. Bang on 3.03 pm on Friday 5th of December at John’s burial at Karrakatta, four PC9’s from RAAF Base Pearce FTS 2 roared overhead at only 200 feet in Missing Man Formation whilst an Army bugler played The Last Post. The RAAF doesn’t forget and it was over 70 years since John piloted a Beaufort bomber in 77 sorties over New Guinea and the Pacific thwarting the Japanese advance on Australia. In WW2, John lost his oldest brother Richard to a German U-boat and his youngest brother Septimus Peter Utting (Class of 1940) to a Japanese Kamikaze. January 6 2015 will be the 70th anniversary of the loss of Septimus Peter Utting. John was an engineer on the Snowy Mountains Scheme and served over four decades on Cottesloe Council. John’s son David (1975) has provided three photos of his father: John as pilot of the Beaufort bomber in PNG in 1944 (hand on propeller); with David on receipt of his Order of Australia in 2010; and RAAF flyover of his internment at Karrakatta Cemetery.
David would like to thank Andrew and the Old Boys, who also have not forgotten, for their support of the family at this sad time. Old boys Matt Bogle (1975), David Michael (1977) and Wayne Glendenning (1975) are thanked for their support.