LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant William Malcolm McLEOD
Service No: 433820
Born: Wellington NSW, 20 December 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 May 1943
Unit: No. 6 Squadron, Dobodura
Died: Air Operations: (No. 6 Squadron Beaufort aircraft A9-253), New Guinea, 11 April 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery, PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Roderick George and Gertrude Selene McLeod, of Gollan, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Wellington NSW
Remembered: Panel 99, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Early in April, No. 6 Squadron carried out three more strikes in New Britain. Three aircraft on 2nd April attacked targets at Klak, five on 4th April concentrated on enemy naval guns in Adler Bay, and on 8th April against huts occupied by the enemy in the Lemingi area. The Squadron’s supply of bombs at Dobodura was practically exhausted at this stage, and the aircraft had to call in at Kiriwina to pick up bombs. The squadron also carried out seven supply-dropping missions during April. On one of these missions, on 11th April, a Beaufort piloted by Warrant Officer Mahoney disappeared. Until the end of the war in New Britain there were very few clashes with the enemy and patrolling in the area continued without serious opposition, until the end.
Extract from Odgers, G.J. (George James) (VX127783) Air War Against Japan 1943-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1957 – Pages 333-4
The remains of the missing crew members were recovered by a search party from the Medical Air
Evacuation Transport Unit on 10 October 1945.
The crew members of A9-253 were:
Warrant Officer John Kevin Mahoney (427390) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William Malcolm McLeod (433820) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Desmond Moulton (424782) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Edwin John Pitt (433763) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-line Record A9845, 249