FIELD, William Henry
| Service Number: | 407786 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 6 January 1941, Adelaide |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | No. 1 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, Australia , 24 April 1916 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Killed In Action , Celebes Indonesia, 19 January 1942, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Ambon Memorial, Indonesia Col 9 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Ambon Memorial, Mannum War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 6 Jan 1941: | Involvement Sergeant, 407786 | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 1941: | Enlisted Adelaide | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Sergeant, 407786, No. 1 Squadron (RAAF), Australia's Northern Periphery | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
William Henry Field a Biography
William Henry (Bill) Field was born on April 24, 1916, in Adelaide, South Australia, as the only child of William Hampstead Field (1888–1917) and Mabel Mary Phillips (1889–1953).
Bill’s father embarked with the 43rd Battalion AIF for England just six weeks after Bill’s birth in 1916. It is believed that his father saw him before leaving. Tragically, William Sr. died at Messines in Belgium in 1917.
In 1920, young Bill and his mother moved to Mannum, where they had extended family.
Bill attended school in Mannum from 1921 to 1933. In 1934, he sat for his Intermediate Certificate, earning the certificate and a first-class pass in drawing. Bill was an avid sportsman, participating in hockey, cricket, tennis, swimming, football, and rowing. His stepfather, Oliver Dary, was a founding member of the Mannum Rowing Club, which became one of Bill’s major interests.
From 1936 to 1939, he studied Mechanical Drawing at the Mannum Technical School while possibly working part-time as a clerk. In 1939, he moved to Adelaide to study Accountancy with Hemingway and Robertson, located in Shell House on North Terrace.
It was in Adelaide that Bill met his future wife, Joan Florence Clucas. The Clucas family was involved with the Adelaide Rowing Club, and it is likely that their mutual interest in rowing led to their meeting.
In 1940 he was working as a clerk, buyer and stores superintendent, at the Fruit Growers and Market Gardeners Society Ltd. This was located at the East End Fruit & Vegetable Market on Grenfell Street, Adelaide. Accommodation was at the East End Market Hotel on East Terrace, Adelaide.
On the 3rd of June 1940 Bill applied to the RAAF for Air Crew training in Adelaide. He was accepted and was sworn in on the 4th of July 1940. Service No. 407786. On the 6th of January 1941 he was posted to the No.4 Initial Training School in Victor Harbour, South Australia. This was akin to Basic Training. Detailed screening was also carried out to allocate candidates for Air Crew roles. Pilots, Navigators and the like. On the 5th of May 1941, having made the cut for pilot, he was sent to the No.1 Flying Training School at Point Cook in Victoria. Bill must have been a natural pilot because he qualified for his Advanced Flying Badge just seven week later, the 26th of June 1941. He also married Joan.
William and Joan were married on the 26th of June 1941 at the Independent Church in Melbourne, Victoria.
Joan came back to Adelaide and moved in with Bills parents at 21 Malvern Avenue, Malvern.
Promoted to Sergeant on the 22nd of August 1941, Bill was posted to No.13 Squadron RAAF in Darwin on the 5th of September 1941. On the 8th of December 1941 the squadron moved to Namlei , in the East Indies. The unit was equipped with Lockheed Hudson bombers.
On the 19th of January 1942 Hudson No. A16-64 took off from Namlei on a photo reconnaissance mission. The aircraft had a crew of three, including Bill. Flight Lieutenant Burleigh went out on the same operation and stated” the last he saw of the plane was that it was being chased by Zeros over Londona, Kakas, and turned into a bank of cloud and he did not see it again.” The plane was presumed shot down. The final resting place of Bill and the crew is unknown.
He is commemorated on Column 9 of the Ambon War Memorial in Indonesia.
Joan would have grieved for Bill but as was the case with this generation she picked herself up and joined up. On the 19th of May 1942 she joined the Australian Women’s Army Service, Army No. SF64932.
Submitted 31 July 2024 by Kym Truscott
Biography
Sergeant William Henry Field, RAAF was killed in action while serving in No 13 Squadron which at the time of his death was based at Ambon in the Indonesian archipeligo.
Biography contributed by Neil Field
William Henry (Billy) Field was the only child of William Hampstead Field and Mabel (nee Phillips) of Mannum in South Australia.
He was only 13 months old when his father, who served in the 43 Battalion AIF, was killed in action near Warneton, Belgium during the 3rd Battle of Ypres.
After the outbreak of WW2, Billy enlisted in the RAAF and trained to become a pilot at Pt Cook in Melbourne He very likely also trained at Laverton.
While stationed in Melbourne he married Joan Clucas, only daughter of Mr and Mrs J Clucas of Malvern, South Australia. Billy successfully trained as a pilot and was attached to 13 Squadron. Very likely he joined his 13 Squadron at Darwin in September 1941.
No. 13 Squadron flew the Lockheed Hudson, an American buillt light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft which equipped a number of RAAF Squadrons. No. 13 Squadron was later stationed at Laha in the Dutch East Indies and carried out reconnaissaince flights to determine Japanese incursions in the Northern Celebes area.
After Pearl Harbour was attacked on 17/12/1941 a decision was later made to withdraw No.13 Squadron to Darwin but 2 crews volunteered to remain behind to carry out a final mission in the area. On 19/1/1942 a Hudson A16-64, with a crew comprising F/Lt Willing, Sgt Field, Sgt Rutter and LAC Cunneen, took off from Laha on a photographic mission over Kena Bay in the Panata area of Northern Celebes. The aircraft was apparantly chased and shot down by a Japanese Zero after a 35 minute chase among the clouds. Billy left behind a widow and his mother.
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