LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman William Edward BARHAM MID
Service No: 163039
Born: Nowra NSW, 3 May 1925
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 April 1944
Unit: No. 3 Airfield Construction Squadron, Mindoro, Philippines
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID), 12 March 1946
Died: Air Raid, Mindoro, 16 December 1944, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Labuan War Cemetery, Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Edward and Rosena Barham, of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wollongong NSW
Remembered: Panel 114, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 16 December 1944, Leading Aircraftman Barham, a General Hand, was detailed with others to assist some Americans in unloading ships at Red Beach. Mindoro, Philippines. While doing this Japanese aircraft flew over. One of their aircraft was shot down, and the Pilot endeavoured to crash the plane on the ship itself. The aircraft blew up just before it reached the ship right over a large number of drums containing petrol, and these in turn blew up. Leading Aircraft Barham had taken shelter in a nearby truck, but he was killed and others were injured by fragments of the crashed aircraft.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/853