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| RAAF No. 24 Squadron  RAAF 1941 |
Pilot F/Lt Paul P. Paterson, 260515 (MIA / KIA) Ormond, VIC Co-Pilot F/O James S. McIntyre, 402995 (MIA / KIA) Maclean, NSW Crew Sgt Oliver F. G. Claxton, 400552 (MIA / KIA) Harwood Island, NSW Crew LAC James A. Wilson, 9164 (MIA / KIA) London, UK Crashed January 19, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 414-6074 (6074). On September 24, 1941 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as A-28-LO Hudson serial number 41-23215 with Wasp engines serial numbers 11510 and 11506. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia as part of lend lease. Wartime History On December 26, 1941 assigned to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Hudson Mark IVA serial number A16-145. That same day received and reassembled by 1 Air Depot (1 AD). On January 3, 1942 test flown. On January 12, 1942 assigned to No. 24 Squadron. No known nickname or nose art. During late January 1942 F/Lt Paul P. Paterson was ordered to deliver this Hudson from Garbutt Field northward to No. 24 Squadron at Vunakanau Airfield. On January 18, 1942 took off from Garbutt Field in Townsville piloted by F/Lt Paul P. Paterson on a flight northward via 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby to refuel then landed at Vunakanau Airfield at 3:50pm. After refueling, took off at 4:30pm then landed at Salamaua Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea. Mission History On January 19, 1942 took off from Salamaua Airfield on a flight via Kavieng on New Ireland then was to land at Vunakanau Airfield on New Britain. At the time, the weather was variable with broken cloud and heavy tropical rain showers in the vicinity. At 8:00pm a coastwatcher on the north coast of New Britain heard a plane pass overhead that was likely this Hudson. When this Hudson never arrived was declared Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The crew was declared "Missing air operations, Rabaul, New Guinea" and it was not until January 14, 1946 that death was officially presumed on January 19, 1942. All are memorialized at Bitapaka War Cemetery (Rabaul War Cemetery) on the Rabaul Memorial. Paterson and McIntyre on panel 34. Claxton and Wilson on panel 36. All are also memorialized at the Australian War Memorial (AWM). Relatives Alan Capp (nephew of McIntyre) adds: "I am the nephew of F/O James Sinclair McIntyre S/N 402995 who went missing in No 24 Squadron Hudson A16-145 on 19 January 1942 in the New Britain / New Ireland vicinity. I have spent the last two years, off and on, trying to piece together what occurred on that day. I have researched available information through National Archives and other sources including authoritative books on this wartime theatre. As a result I have concluded that, while there is no way of determining exactly what happened, there are several discrepancies in the narrative to date. I have written up my findings in the form of a small, non-commercial, booklet for limited distribution [Lost: Uncle Jim's Short War] – essentially for family and for others interested in this research." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - A-28-LO 41-23171 "23215 to Australia as A16-145. MIA between Rabaul and Lakunai Jan 21 [sic 19], 1942 while with 24 Sqdn." RAAF Port Moresby Operations Record Book - 18 January 1942 (NAA: A9186, 240) (January 18, 1942) "A flight by Hudson aircraft A16-145 of 24 squadron Cpt. F/Lt. P. P. Paterson (515) from Moresby to Lae [Salamaua] via Rabaul. (January 20, 1942) RAAF Status Card - Hudson A16-145 RAAF Casualty Card - Hudson A16-145 "Lost over the Kabu River, New Guinea." ADF Serials - Hudson A16-145 WW2 Nominal Roll - Paul P. Paterson, 260515 NAA Casualty File: Paterson, Paul Pryde (NAA: A705, 163/51/116) CWGC - Paul Pryde Paterson FindAGrave - Flight Lieutenant Paul Pryde Paterson (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Paul Pryde Paterson (AWM panel 102) Air Power Archaeology - Paul Pryde Paterson WW2 Nominal Roll - James Sinclair McIntyre, 402995 NAA Casualty File: McIntyre, James Sinclair (NAA: A705, 163/47/91) CWGC - James Sinclair McIntyre FindAGrave - James Sinclair McIntyre (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - James Sinclair McIntyre (AWM panel 102) Air Power Archaeology - James Sinclair McIntyre WW2 Nominal Roll - Oliver Frederick George Claxton, 400552 NAA Casualty File: Claxton, Frederick George (NAA: A705, 163/97/118) CWGC - Oliver Frederick George Claxton FindAGrave - Sergeant Oliver George Frederick Claxton (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Oliver George Frederick Claxton (AWM panel 102) Air Power Archaeology - Oliver George Frederick Claxton WW2 Nominal Roll - James Arthur Wilson, 9164 NAA Casualty File: Wilson, James Arthur (NAA: A705, 163/178/261) CWGC - James Arthur Wilson FindAGrave - Corporal James Arthur Wilson (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - James Arthur Wilson (AWM panel 102) Air Power Archaeology - James Arthur Wilson RAAF Hudson Story Book Two (2010) by David Vincent page 167 Lost: Uncle Jim's Short War (2014) by Alan Capp A16-145 - Précis by Alan Capp (2014) Thanks to Alan Capp, David Vincent and Daniel Leahy for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 18, 2024 |
 Hudson  MIA 4 Missing |
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