LEST WE FORGET

Lieutenant William Alexander John BUCKLAND

Service No: 10166
Born: Moe VIC, February 1894
Enlisted in the Army: 12 January 1916
Unit: No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Air Operations, France, 6 May 1918, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Vignacourt British Cemetery, Vignacourt, Picardie, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mary Jane and the late John Buckland, of Mirboo North, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia
Place of Association: Mirboo North VIC
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Captain H. D. E. Ralfe and Lieutenant W. A. J. Buckland (Observer) were killed on patrol at dawn on May 6th.  They were attacked by five German machines over the Morlancourt Ridge and were shot down in flames (1).

(1) RE8 aircraft A4404

Extract from Cutlack, F.M. (Frederic Morley) The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War 1914-8, Angus and Robertson Ltd Sydney, 1941 – Page 264

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, BUCKLAND W A J
National Archives UK RAF Casualty Book AIR 1/969 page 236, 37848

Bibliography:

Muller, P. (Peter) and Hutchinson, J. (John) Secrets Revealed: a brief history of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide SA 5000, 1991
Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935

Book Now Book Now