Coming Soon.
MORCOMBE, William James
Personal Details
| Service Number: | 415264 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 17 August 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Pilot Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 622 Squadron (RAF) |
| Born: | Ceduna, South Australia, 10 January 1923 |
| Home Town: | Armadale, Armadale, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Waddy Well State School, Wesley College South Perth, Muresk Agricultural College |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Flying Battle, France, 18 November 1943, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lachalade Churchyard Collective Grave 2 - 4 Headstone Inscription "SO DEARLY LOVED" |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Carnamah War Memorial, Coorow Honour Roll, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Murray Bridge 622 Squadron Honour Board, South Perth Wesley College Lych Gate |
Service History
World War 2 Service
| 17 Aug 1941: | Involvement Pilot Officer, 415264 | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 415264, No. 622 Squadron (RAF), Perth, WA | |
| 17 Aug 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 415264 | |
| 18 Nov 1942: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 415264, Arrived in the UK, likely via either the US or Canada. | |
| 15 Mar 1943: | Transferred Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, No. 15 Squadron (RAF), Was first initially sent to No. 15 Advanced Flying Refresher Unit RAF on 15th March 1943, and then No. 26 Operational Training Unit RAF on 4th May 1943. | |
| 10 Sep 1943: | Transferred Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, No. 622 Squadron (RAF), On the 10th of September, William had joined No. 622 Squadron RAF that was stationed in Suffolk. This Squadron had only just been created about a month before on the 10th of August 1943. | |
| 18 Nov 1943: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 415264, No. 622 Squadron (RAF), During the frosty evening of the 18th of November 1943, William and his crew of seven had been assigned to bomb Mannheim, Germany. The crew of the Stirling III EF128, was shot down by a Luftwaffe night fighter ace, Hauptmann (Captain) Helmut Bergmann, who had claimed 36 aerial victories and 135 successful aerial combat missions (Tally from the end of World War Two). |
Personal Stories
Help us honour William James Morcombe's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Philip Thomas and Stella Alison MORCOMBE, of Armadale, Western Australia
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