LEST WE FORGET

Leading Aircraftman Ian William BATTON

Service No: 18762
Born: Ararat VIC, 18 April 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 September 1940
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, RAF Station Luqa, Malta
Died: Aircraft Accident (Wellington aircraft HK507), near Malta, 6 November 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. J Batton, of Redcliffs, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Leading Aircraftman Batton, a Fitter Mechanic Airframe, an airman attached to the No. 458 Squadron Detachment at Malta, was posted missing as a result of an aircraft accident off Malta. The accident occurred when Wellington aircraft HK507 in transit from North Africa to Malta crashed into the sea at night near Malta at approximately 0009 hours on 6 November 1942, and survivors were picked up by high speed launch. Fourteen other personnel of various squadrons some of whom were injured survived the crash.

Other No. 458 Squadron airmen injured in the same flying accident and admitted to hospital were:

Aircraftman Class I John Andrew Baxter (22524) (Fitter Mechanic) Discharged from the RAAF: 8 January 1946
Leading Aircraftman John Thomas Lilley (16242) (Fitter Mechanic Airframe) Discharged from the RAAF: 8 March 1945
Aircraftman Class I John Holden McInnes (16506) (Fitter Mechanic Airframe) Discharged from the RAAF: 19 October 1944

On 13 March 1943 these airmen were repatriated to Australia.

Others on board were:

Sergeant J C R Cooper (1116771) (RAFVR)
Pilot Officer Alan Munro McLeod (402202) (RNZAF) Killed on Air Operations: 12 June 1944
Sergeant E J Powell (1033300) (RAFVR)
Pilot Officer J N Ritter (J/8912) (RCAF)
Sergeant Sandler (1188561) (RAFVR)
Sergeant I F Whitlock (79682) (RCAF)

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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/90/437

Bibliography:

Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959

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