Kevin McMurrugh
Ship name / Flight number: Otranto
Arrival date: 20/01/1955
Kevin McMurrugh arrived in Australia on 20 January 1955, stepping off the Otranto with a sense of hope and adventure. After some time at the War Memorial Training Farm, he continued his journey, travelling to Brentwood in early February 1955 with Don Kendall, the son of the farm’s owner. Don dropped him off in Wagga Wagga, where life took an unexpected turn.
There, Kevin met the wife of a local dairy farmer while she was unloading milk cans. Her husband was unwell, and Kevin, always happy to lend a hand, offered to help. He stayed with the family in North Wagga for a while, working hard and fitting into the community. But Kevin had bigger plans, and by the end of February, he set off for Sydney with the hope of joining the Royal Australian Air Force.
While waiting for his application, medicals and interviews to be completed, Kevin worked in Sydney, determined to stick to his goal. His persistence paid off when he officially joined the RAAF on 5 June 1956. After completing basic training at RAAF Base Richmond in September, he moved on to the RAAF School of Technical Training, graduating in May 1957, and was soon posted to 78 Wing at RAAF Base Williamtown, NSW.
Kevin’s Air Force career spanned 32 years. He served all over Australia and overseas — in Malaysia from 1958 to 1960, then back to Williamtown until 1965, and later in Darwin and Melbourne. In 1982, he moved to Washington D.C. to work on the new Tactical Fighter Program, before returning to Canberra and then Melbourne, where he finished his career in 1988.
After retiring from the Air Force, Kevin bought a house in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. He then worked for Ansett Airlines until 2000, when he retired fully to care for his wife.
Looking back, Kevin says two big decisions shaped his life: choosing to move to Australia — something encouraged by a friendly Australian he once worked with — and joining the Air Force, which gave him a career full of opportunity and adventure.
Throughout it all, Kevin stayed close to his family back in the UK and never forgot where he came from. His story is one of hard work, loyalty, and care — lived simply and well, across two continents.