WATSON, William James Thomas
| Service Number: | 401179 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 4 January 1941, Enlisted in RAAF at Melbourne. Completed Aircrew training at 27 EFTS (Southern Rhodesia). Mustering: Navigator Final Unit: 200 SQN (RAF) at Jeswang and Takoradi, Gold Coast, West Africa. Killed with all crew when Lockheed Hudson IV (FK 178 42-47134) crashed on take-off 7 January 1943. Buried at Takoradi European Cemetery, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Royal Air Force - unspecified units |
| Born: | Newport, Victoria, Australia, 27 October 1917 |
| Home Town: | Spotswood, Hobsons Bay, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Williamstown High School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Aircraft Accident, West Africa, 7 January 1943, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Takoradi European Public Cemetery, Takoradi, Ghana Takoradi European Public Cemetery, Ghana, West Africa Grave Reference: Grave 31. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Sergeant, 401179 | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Jan 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 401179, As recorded at: PERSONAL RECORD OF SERVICE– AIRMEN -SGT W.J.T. WATSON 401179 200 Squadron (RAF), West Africa 1942-43 MEDALS: 1939-45 Star Atlantic Star Defence Medal War Medal 1939-45 | |
| 4 Jan 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 401179, Royal Air Force - unspecified units, Enlisted in RAAF at Melbourne. Completed Aircrew training at 27 EFTS (Southern Rhodesia). Mustering: Navigator Final Unit: 200 SQN (RAF) at Jeswang and Takoradi, Gold Coast, West Africa. Killed with all crew when Lockheed Hudson IV (FK 178 42-47134) crashed on take-off 7 January 1943. Buried at Takoradi European Cemetery, Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. | |
| 4 Jan 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 401179, Royal Air Force - unspecified units, 200 SQN (RAF) | |
| 4 Jan 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 401179 |
WATSON, William James Thomas - Accident Details
WATSON, William James Thomas - (Sergeant); Service Number - 401179; RAAF
Aircraft - Hudson FK 578; Place - Takoradi, West Africa; Date - 7 January 1943
Aircraft Type: Lockheed Hudson
Serial number: FK 578
Radio call sign:
Unit: attached to 200 SQN Royal Air Force
Crew:
RAAF 408135 Sgt Reginald Charles Payne, (Pilot) Aircraft Captain, from West Hobart, Tas
RAAF 401179 Sgt William James Thomas Watson, (Navigator), from Malvern, Vic
RAAF 405407 Sgt Frank Edward Guy, (Wireless Air Gunner), from Kurri Kurri, NSW
RAF Sgt D J Adams, (Wireless Air Gunner)
Incident Summary:
Hudson FK578 took off from RAF Station Takoradi, West African Forces, on 7th
January 1943.
Soon after the aircraft became airborne it struck rising ground and crashed,
and fire completely destroyed the aircraft. Three of the crew were killed in the crash and Sgt Guy died of his injuries later.
In a later enquiry into the accident it was considered that the cause of the crash was ‘during a dark take off the pilot failed to maintain a safe rate of climb after becoming airborne and flew into rising ground approx 400 yards south of the runway’.
The Station Commander stated: “The failure to maintain a safe rate of climb was probably due to pilot lag in changing over from visual to instruments when airborne”.
All the crew are buried in the Takoradi European Public Cemetery, Ghana.
https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-details/2000167/TAKORADI%20EUROPEAN%20PUBLIC%20CEMETERY/
Grave Reference: Grave 31.
Location on the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial: panel 132 in the Commemorative Area.
Source: AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/43/14 Commonwealth War Graves records
Submitted 16 August 2020 by Craig Watson
Click images to start slideshow.