Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Kittyhawk fighter aircraft A29-571 and A29-407 of 75SQN RAAF collided in mid-air and crashed near Sansapor (Mega Bay), Dutch New Guinea killing Warrant Officer William Morris Barden 17409 (A29-571) and Flying Officer Richard William Raven Bath 420116 (A29-407)

William Morris Barden was the son of Charles Patrick Barden and Myrtal Gladys Barden (nee Morris). He was born in Western Australia in 1921.

William was known by his middle name.

However he called himself "Maurice" not Morris. The latter being the spelling of his actual middle name.  

Morris was his mother's maiden name. It is not usually spelt that way when used as a first name. Hence William used "Maurice" not Morris as his preferred monicker.

He was educated initially at Perth Boys School before going on to attend Christain Brothers College in Perth. 

He was keen on going to the pictures. Hence when he  got his Junior Certificate, he applied for a job in that industry. He was successful. Maurice started out as a clerk in Perth's Warner Brothers Metro Theatres. He doubled as an assistant projectionist.

Hence he was able to get paid to watch pictures. That would have included Movietone News with declassified war footage. The latter ensured public support for the war in those early dark days. 

He volunteered for the RAAF, likely because he was keen to fly the inconic Spitfire.

He aspired to be a Fighter Pilot, like many teenagers at that time.

The W.A. Manager for Movie Studio Distrubuters, his boss, provided the RAAF with attached employment reference. This letter confirms that William, who was known by his middle name, used "Maurice Barden", not Morris Barden.

He applied to the RAAF early in 1940 but he was not enlisted until mid 1940. He was mustered as a Stores Clerk not a Pilot. For RAAF HQ in Perth needed clerks.

Unfortunately for him, he had three years civilian experience in that area. Hence he was enlisted as an RAAF Stores Clerk.

That must have been hard to take. For he wanted to be a Fighter Pilot.

He served 12 months as a RAAF Stores Clerk before he succeeded in getting himself remustered as an Aircrew Trainee.

That meant a demotion from LAC to A.C. II. For he had to re-commence his RAAF service in the lowest rank for Aircrew recruits.    

He went solo in the required time to make the cut to continue with his Pilot Training. He completed his Elementary Flying Training in a DH-82 Tiger Moth in No 9 EFTS at RAAF Base Cunderdin in W.A. He then did advanced training at No 4 SFTS at RAAF Base Geraldton in W.A. 

He fly the twin engined RAAF Avro Anson. He was not streamed for Bomber Command as were most on his course. Instead he was sent to No 35 Squadron as a Transport Pilot. That was not what he wanted.

It would take another eight months of serving as a Transport Pilot before he was accepted for Fighter Pilot Training. Maurice as he was known, had to master the Wirraway before doing his Fighter Combat Training in the P40 Kittyhawk. He graduated from No 2 O.T.U. Mildura as an RAAF Fighter Pilot in late March 1944. 

He was deployed overseas with No 75 Fighter Squadron. He flew his Fighter Combat sorties against Imperial Japanese Forces. However, his war came to an end following a mid air collision on 9th August 1944.  

17409 WOFF BARDEN, W.M. RAAF was killed when his Kittyhawk collided with comrad's Kittyhawk during a formation turn. 

It was not until late 1946 that his Kittyhawk wreckage was found. His remains were then recovered. That changed his official war death status from presumed to confirmed. He was interred in Ambon War Cemetery.

His wife, Bernice May Barden (Nee Paterson) was notified on 26 Nov 1946. They had married in Perth in 1944 as per their attached marriage registration record.

Bernice was now a war widow.

Lest We Forget.