James Watt SIMPSON

SIMPSON, James Watt

Service Number: 400570
Enlisted: 15 September 1940
Last Rank: Sergeant
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 16 October 1913
Home Town: Fitzroy, Yarra, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Flying Battle, Urai Island, New Britain, Gasmata, New Britain, Pacific Islands, 4 March 1942, aged 28 years
Cemetery: Rabaul (Bita Paka) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea
F C 9
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Sergeant, 400570
15 Sep 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 400570

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Biography contributed by David Barlow

Hudson A16-165 took off from 7 Mile Strip in New Guinea on a night-time bombing raid on Gasmata, New Britain with four other aircraft, it did not return along with Hudson A16-101

Aircraft wreckage was discovered on Urai Island, New Britain in 1946 and identified as A16-165

One crew member was taken POW and executed the day of the crash - Flight Lieutenant Kenneth James Erwin 261863

The rest of the crew were killed in the crash:

Pilot Officer, Eric Lyle McLauchlan 405644

Sergeant James Watt Simpson 400570

Sergeant Ian Munro Barwick 5810

(the NAA casualty file for Sergeant Barwick contains a comprehensive report on the search for missing airmen and their fate)

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