HONOURING the sacrifice of four fallen servicemen, the newly implemented Tenison Woods College Flyers Award seeks to highlight a student who shows symbolic qualities and a sense of comradeship reflected in both the nation’s service history and the school’s values.
Mount Gambier Community RSL president Bob Sandow instigated the accolade to honour four men who were former college students and died in aircraft incidents.
“After extensive research I found all four men, Lt. Anthony Austen Casadio, David John Friedrichs, Commander Errol John Kavanagh and Flight Lieutenant Reginald Frederick Van Leuven were in need of an honorable mention,” Mr Sandow said.
“I have been studying Casadio for many years and he has been in my heart for a long time even though I never met him.
“He is what sparked the idea and once I began researching, I discovered three other servicemen who all died flying while serving for Australia and were previous scholars of Marist Brothers Agricultural College.”
Mr Sandow said Casadio achieved a lot despite being killed in action at the tender age of 22.
Mr Friedrichs was the second serviceman researched, a Royal Australian Air Force Roulette pilot.
“I soon discovered his brother-in-law was my vice-president of the RSL and had been for a long time,” Mr Sandow said.
“The family were concerned that nobody knew about John and when we went looking we found that he did some amazing things as well as died flying for our country.
“When the Roulettes came down here years ago I took his family to meet the current Roulettes who all stopped what they were doing to meet them, which I thought was amazing.”
Mr Sandow said he then discovered the story of Commander Errol John Kavanagh who died while flying a MIG fighter jet during a charity fundraiser in Canberra.
“Eyewitnesses have quoted him as a hero pilot who, at the expense of his own life, skimmed over a crowed sports oval and held the plane in the air until it burned and crashed, aged 49,” Mr Sandow said.
“I also discovered Flight Lieutenant Reginald Frederick Van Leuven who was killed while flying a voluntary flood relief mission in Queensland.
“I just thought we had to put all these people and acts together and not let these flyers die without the community recognising them.”
Mr Sandow originally thought he would be honouring five pilots who died while serving the country, only to find one was still alive.
“John (Jack) Mayfield was going to be the fifth flyer to be involved with the award but he rang me and told me he was not,” Mr Sandow said.
“I met Jack in the RSL recently when Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin brought him in as he is her cousin.”
Mr Mayfield told Mr Sandow he was lucky to be the “last man standing.”
“Obviously you need skill to be a pilot, but you also need a lot of luck,” Mr Mayfield said.
“You can be an incredibly skillful pilot but if you do not have the luck you could be in trouble.
“I was just one of the fortunate pilots who had luck on my side when I needed it most.”
Mr Sandow approached the school and after two years of deliberation the award was introduced.
Year 12 student Taylor Fatchen was the first recipient for the award and was recognised for her “above and beyond” involvement with the college’s East Timor trip.
“I feel very privileged and I am very lucky that I was the first recipient of the award,” she said.
“The money we fundraised made a lot of different and as I knew where it came from and where it was going, it meant a lot to me.
“I tried to help out as much as I could before and after we went on the trip and am now looking at going back in my gap year.”
Tenison Woods College wellbeing director Jennie Sanderson worked with Mr Sandow to create the award and said Ms Fatchen was a strong example of the award’s qualities.
“She really impressed the Timor Leste people and also the staff who attended the trip and just went above and beyond.
“We have a long history with the flyers mainly through Anthony Casadio but to build the connection with the community when involving the other three is just fantastic.”
Mr Sandow said although Mr Casadio was recognised with a college Shining Light Award, he wanted to see the other three servicemen acknowledged in a similar way.
Ms Sanderson said the award was presented at school assembly falling near Remembrance Day and thanked Mr Sandow and his wife for the donation.
“Our principal David Mezinec is strong on saying we stand on the shoulders of those who go before us,” she said.
“I think it very important to know the history of what has happened in our community and the presentation on or near Remembrance Day is very fitting.
“Taylor’s service to the college community and beyond is an honour and we hope this award will continue to be presented again in following years.”
