Charles Alfred WILLIAMS

WILLIAMS, Charles Alfred

Service Number: 16322
Enlisted: 27 April 1940
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: No. 42 Squadron RAAF
Born: Subiaco, Western Australia, 5 April 1913
Home Town: Nedlands, Nedlands, Western Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Physical Culture teacher
Died: Flying Battle, Macassar, Celebes, Celebes, Netherlands East Indies, 14 October 1944, aged 31 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Column 8 No known grave , Ambon Memorial, Ambon, Maluku, Indonesia
Memorials: Ambon Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Nhulunbuy Wall of Remembrance
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Flight Lieutenant, 16322
27 Apr 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 16322, No. 42 Squadron RAAF, Enlisted at Perth, WA
27 Apr 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 16322

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Biography contributed by Carol Foster

Son of Charles Henry and Emma Jane Williams; husband of Evelyn Maud Williams of Nedlands, WA

Plane was Catalina A24-90 which took off from Darwin at 16.35 hours for a mine laying mission against Makassar, Celebes but failed to return, The accompanying aircraft did not see A24-90 crash but did see an object hit the ground and burst into flames which may have be the A24-90. The Catalinas were under heavy attack from anti aircraft fire at the time.

A Japanese Prisoner of War stated that a Flying Boat which was dropping mines was hit by anti aircraft fire and crashed. Only three of the crew survived and were executed at Batavia after being in terrogated for about 5 days. Charles was not one of the survivors.

Three other bodies washed ashore and were buried by the local natives but only one was identified by dental records as being a member of the crew. Two of the bodies were buried without clothes and the third just wearing trousers.

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