20 Facts About Geoff Chinchen

Geoffrey Talbot Chinchen MBE DFC was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly.

Geoff Chinchen was a member of the RAAF in World War II who escaped from a German Prisoner of War Camp.

Geoff Chinchen was educated at the Melbourne and Geelong Technical Colleges and then studied accountancy.

Geoff Chinchen then worked for the Ford Motor Company as a salesman in Geelong.

In 1940 Geoff Chinchen joined the RAAF where he became a pilot trainer with the Empire Trainer Scheme and was based at both Wagga Wagga and Camden.

Geoff Chinchen was posted to the Middle East as a fighter pilot with the No 3 Squadron and before long he was Squadron Leader.

Geoff Chinchen was shot down and wounded in January 1942 but was back with his squadron two months later.

Geoff Chinchen was taken prisoner and placed in the custody of a German Meteorological Officer because everybody else was busy fighting the battle.

Geoff Chinchen recalls of the meeting, He was a very pleasant gentleman, and he asked me a lot of questions but, of course, I couldn't tell him anything.

Geoff Chinchen then said: "For you the war is over", to which I replied: "I don't know about that", and he laughed.

Geoff Chinchen was involved in a tunneling project to try and escape but it was not finished when Chinchen was moved from the camp to Bologna where it was learned that Italy was to about to sign an armistice with the allies and the guards had indicated that the prisoners would be freed.

Geoff Chinchen was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September 1942 and it was presented to him at Buckingham Palace by King George VI in 1944.

Geoff Chinchen joined the Liberal Party and became president of the Rochedale branch.

Geoff Chinchen quickly became a member of the Ginger Group that, that, over a period of years, was not afraid to voice its disapproval of government policies or even to vote against them.

Geoff Chinchen was in parliament for 14 years and retired from politics at the 1977 state elections.

Geoff Chinchen married Heather Woolley on 23 December 1946, not long after arriving back in Australia.

Geoff Chinchen resumed work with the Ford Motor Company and in 1952 was made the Queensland manager of the company.

Geoff Chinchen resigned four years later and bought a 20-acre property at Rochedale where he farmed potatoes, pawpaws and bananas.

Geoff Chinchen retired to the Tricare retirement village at Mt Gravatt.

Geoff Chinchen died in July 2005 and his funeral proceeded from the Church of St Mary the Virgin at Kangaroo Point to the Mt Thompson Crematorium.