Democracy rolls on. "RAF Station Pembroke Dock, Wales. C. 1944-08. Group portrait of personnel of 461 (Sunderland) Squadron RAAF in the UK registering their votes in a Federal referendum."  The referendum was to allow the Australian Federal Government to legislate on a range of matters for five years after the war ended.  The proposal was defeated 54/46%.  Armed forces votes were submitted by 417,082 personnel.

461 Sqn RAAF vote

"Probably Port Moresby, New Guinea. c. 1942. An RAAF air gunner sits in the turret of a Sunderland flying boat.."  Another example of Australian ingenuity.  These firing positions appear to be field modifications as they do not resemble the installations on Sunderland Mk I's operating in the UK which had sliding covers and were much further back so they could fire downwards behind the wing.  These are staggered, not side by side and have fixed deflection shields.  The SCARFF ring looks like it was taken from a Hawker Demon and the Vickers .303" gun has been replaced with a Browning .50"  It is even possible that the captioner has misidentified the aircraft and this might be a Short Empire flying boat, not a Sunderland.

Sunderland (?) gunner, New Guinea

July 1945: Australian troops storm ashore in the first assault wave to take Balikpapan on the southeast coast of oil-rich Borneo. Standing in the LST, Coast Guard Combat Photographer James L. Lonergan is documenting the landing operations