His sense of humour is second to none - his life story is also as individual as it comes.

At 92 years of age, Frank sits humbly as former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wing commander Frank Slater BEM; psc; RAAF; (Rtd).

Frank grew up a on dairy farm at Mooral Creek.

"I would get up at 3am to milk the cows," recalled Frank.

"Then I'd ride the three miles to school on a pony and three miles back.

"I'd go to sleep the same time as the chooks, just so I could do it all again the next day."

Frank's motivation for enlisting in the air force 74 years ago, was because he thought flying planes "...was going to be more exciting than massaging those 'moo-eys'!" joked Frank.

The career that laid before him was indeed very different to the life he left behind.

Frank progressed through the airman ranks and became a warrant officer on commissioning.

During the next 18 years he achieved the rank of flying officer, flight lieutenant, squadron leader and wing commander.

During his active service Frank was an engine fitter in Darwin at the No. 147 Squadron Spitfires and No. 18 Netherlands East Indies Squadron in the early 1940s.

In the late 1950s Frank was a Lincoln bomber captain in Singapore and Malaya with the No. 1 Squadron. Here he took part in a total of 69 bombing missions.

In the late 1960s Frank filled the post of senior engineering staff officer, responsible at headquarters level for all aspects of RAAF engineering in Vietnam.

During his non-operational service Frank worked at bases in Australia, took part in temporary duty in South West Pacific and Papua New Guinea. He also had temporary duty flying his favourite plane, C130 Hercules, to and from the USA and the UK.

A significant occurrence in Frank's time with the air force occurred on May 7, 1950 where an amphibious Catalina crashed during an emergency at Georgetown, Queensland.

At the time Frank, the flight engineer, was the sole survivor of a crew of seven. He was award the British Empire Medal and the George Medal for bravery for pulling another crew member from the wreckage. That crewman later died due to his injuries.

laura.polson@fairfaxmedia.com.au