Flying Officer James S. McIntyre
No. 24 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
Co-Pilot Hudson A16-145 Missing In Action January 19, 1942

Background
James Sinclair McIntyre was born August 6, 1918 to parents James McIntyre and Agnes (née McLachlan) McIntyre in of Forest Bank, South Arm, Maclean, NSW. He was one of six children. He attended Maclean Primary School then Maclean High School then Hurlstone Agriculture School in Glenfield, NSW. He was a vice-captain of the rugby team and graduated in 1935 with a leaving certificate. Next, he enrolled in Armidale Teaching College for two years and studied agricultural science and was the treasurer of the sport union and played rugby league. In 1937, he became an assistant teacher in the NSW Department of Education at Guyra Public School.

Wartime History
On November 11, 1940 enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an Aircraftsman Class II with serial number 402995. He joined No. 2 Initial Training School (ITS) Bradfield Park, NSW under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). On January 3, 1941 he completed initial training and the next day was promoted to the rank of Leading Aircraftsman. On January 9, 1941 assigned to Tamworth Airfield to No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School (No. 6 EFTS) and learned to fly the DH82 Tiger Moth. On March 6, 1941 assigned to Amberly Field to No. 3 Service Flying Training School (No. 3 SFTS) and learned to fly the Avro Anson. On June 30, 1941 earned his flying badge and was discharged as an enlisted airman.

On July 1, 1941 commissioned as a Pilot Officer. On July 7, 1941 assigned to General Reconnaissance School at Laverton Field for No. 13 Navigation Reconnaissance Course and completed it with a "distinguished pass" on September 26, 1941. Three days later, assigned to No. 24 Squadron at Garbutt Field in Townsville.

On November 21, 1941 co-pilot aboard Hudson A16-31 took off from Garbutt Field on a flight to northward via 7 Mile Drome and Kavieng Airfield then landed at Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. On November 23, 1941 took off as co-pilot aboard Hudson A16-31 and shortly after take off crashed and sustained injuries including burns. After being treated for his injuries at Rabaul he returned to duty on December 3, 1941.

On December 6, 1941 flown back to Garbutt Field. During January 1942 McIntyre likely flew as co-pilot for F/Lt Paterson on missions against Kapingamarangi (Greenwitch). On January 13, 1941 co-pilot aboard Hudson A16-47 flown from Rabaul via Port Moresby to Garbutt Field for repairs.

On January 18, 1942 co-pilot aboard Hudson A16-145 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 to Vunakanau Airfield landing at 3:50pm. After refueling, took off at 4:30pm bound for Salamaua Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea.

Mission History
On January 19, 1942 co-pilot aboard Hudson A16-145 took off from Salamaua Airfield to 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
McIntyre 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. He is memorialized at Bitapaka War Cemetery (Rabaul War Cemetery) on the Rabaul Memorial, panel 34. He is also memorialized at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) on panel 102.

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.

First, the flight was not a delivery flight from Townsville as is often repeated. From the RAAF Port Moresby Operations Record Book it is clear that A16-145 had arrived in Rabaul on 18 January 1942. Second, it is unclear whether the aircraft subsequently flew to Lae or to Salamaua. Also, from the records, it is uncertain when it left Lae (or Salamaua) and whether it was heading for Rabaul directly or via Kavieng in bad weather. Either way it was probably in daylight as usual for reconnaissance flights. In the circumstances prevailing at that time the likelihood of it staying around Lae (or Salamaua) until late in the evening of 18 January 1942 is low. Even more unlikely is that it would wait a whole day until the evening of 19 January 1942 before setting out on its final flight.

Either of these tracks puts A16-145 in quite close proximity to the where the Japanese carriers were positioning. The possibility (however remote) therefore is that it encountered the IJN First Carrier Division CAP.

In light of what I have been able to find out it is most likely that bad weather was the cause of the loss of this aircraft as severe storm activity is a consistent theme in the surviving records. Mechanical malfunction cannot be ruled out although there is no evidence of this. An outside chance (again, without supporting evidence) is that it was shot down. We will only know for certain when (and if) it is discovered in, most probably, the sea between Lae/Salamaua and Rabaul / Kavieng."

References
WW2 Nominal Roll - James Sinclair McIntyre, 402995
CWGC - James Sinclair McIntyre
FindAGrave - James Sinclair McIntyre (Rabaul Memorial photo)
FindAGrave - James Sinclair McIntyre (AWM panel 102)
Air Power Archaeology - James Sinclair McIntyre
Lost: Uncle Jim's Short War (2014) by Alan Capp
A16-145 - Précis by Alan Capp (2014)
Thanks to Alan Capp for additional information

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