Air Commodore E J Bushell AM RAAF (Retd) left the Service in 1983 as the last Senior Maintenance Staff Officer, Headquarters Support Command (later Logistics Command). He joined the RAAF in February 1948 as a member of the first course of RAAF Engineering Apprentices, and on graduation served with No 3 Aircraft Depot, No 1 BFTS, No 78 (F) Wing Malta, and No 1 Aircraft Depot. He was commissioned into the Technical Branch as an Engineer (Aeronautical) in 1957.

After a tour at Headquarters Maintenance Command, he was posted to a guided weapons course at the RAF Technical College, Henlow, UK, as a precursor to joining the RAAF Bloodhound missile team in the UK. From there he joined No 30 (SAM) Squadron at Williamtown. Following a period with the Director of Weapons Engineering at the Department of Air, he completed the RAAF Staff College Course before being posted as the Senior Engineering Officer at No 1 BFTS. Point Cook.

This was followed by a tour as the RAAF Resident Engineer at Aeronautica Macchi. Italy, during 1968-69, and then two years as the Command Maintenance Officer at Headquarters Support Command. Next he became Commanding Officer of No 486 Maintenance Squadron, Richmond. Returning to Maintenance Command he was appointed Staff Officer Technical Spares Assessing and then Staff Officer Aeronautical Equipment Engineering. A Department of Defence (Air Force Office) posting as Director of Defence Technical Staffs - Air Force followed. He returned to Headquarters Support Command as Senior Maintenance Staff Officer for his last appointment.

He is a graduate of the Australian Administrative Staff College, and the Defence Industrial Mobilisation Course.

Air Commodore Bushell coauthored the Shaft of the Spear: Evolution of The RAAF Technical Services to the End of the Second World War, published in 2004, which is the definitive work on the early history of the RAAF's Engineering Branch.

He is a frequent contributor to the APA Analyses and NOTAMs series.