David Skene PATERSON

David Skene PATERSON Update Details

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PATERSON, David Skene

Service Number:	405931
Enlisted:	22 June 1941
Last Rank:	Flying Officer
Last Unit:	No. 66 Squadron (RAAF)
Born:	Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, 2 June 1920
Home Town:	Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Not yet discovered
Died:	Aircraft Accident , Heron Island, Queensland, Australia, 23 July 1943, aged 23 years
Cemetery:	Gladstone Cemetery, Qld Protestant Plot - Grave 1696,
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Barcaldine WW2 Memorial Gates, City of Townsville WW2 HR

World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939:	Involvement Flying Officer, 405931
22 Jun 1941:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircrew Training Units
22 Jun 1941:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 405931
23 Jul 1943:	Involvement No. 66 Squadron (RAAF)

Help us honour David Skene Paterson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by David Barlow

Son of David Skene Paterson and Lucy Neale Paterson of Barcaldine, Queensland

RAAF Avro Anson aircraft AX471 clipped a Pisonia tree on Heron Island off the central Queensland coast with one of its wings and crashed into the ground at 1040 hours on 23 July 1943 while on a non-operational training flight. Of the five crew on board, three were killed instantly and two others were seriously injured - one of whom died a week later from his injuries. Crew list:

Flying Officer David Skene Paterson (405931) 66 Squadron RAAF

Flying Officer Francis Joseph Robinson (264997) 32 Squadron RAAF

Flying Officer Fabian Crothers McMaster (420102) 71 Squadron RAAF

Flying Officer Ronald Douglas Robertson (411951) of 71 Squadron RAAF died on 1 August 1943. Ronald was the uncle of the famous Australian barrister Geoffrey Robertson Q.C.

The other seriously injured crew member was AC Eastoe (124403) - Thomas George Eastoe served in the ACMF with Army Number Q3769 prior to enlisting in the RAAF - he survived this aircraft crash and was discharged from the RAAF in December 1945

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War Memorial
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