LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard Colin PALFREYMAN
Service No: 436941
Born: Sydney NSW, 6 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 June 1943 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 2 Squadron, Hughes NT
Died: Air Operations (No. 2 Squadron Mitchell aircraft A47-8), Timor area, 4 November 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest Caleb and Eleanor Elizabeth May Palfreyman, of Epping, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Epping NSW
Remembered: Panel 9, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Palfreyman Memorial Window, St Alban’s Church, Epping NSW
The DVA record shows Flight Sergeant Palfreyman enlisting from New South Wales; however he has a WA Service Number (436XXX) and is listed on the WA Memorial.
The Mitchells maintained anti-shipping activity into November, with a formation on the 4th carrying out a shipping sweep around Timor, Wetar and Alor Islands. While the CO (Wing Commander Campbell (1)) attacked the anti-aircraft position at Goerita Bay, in Dutch Timor, Flying Officers Dave McQuoid (2) (A47-14) and Jack Selway (A47-8) strafed barges. Selway’s aircraft was hit by ground fire as he approached from over the land, and crashed in flames into the sea. None of the crew was seen to bale out, nor were any of them seen during a search which lasted for 20 minutes.
(1) Wing Commander David Watt Ian Campbell DFC & Bar (250528) was discharged from the RAAF on 3 October 1945.
(2) Flight Lieutenant Dave McQuoid (415543) was discharged from the RAAF on 2 November 1945.
Extract from Bennett, J. (John William) Highest Traditions: the history of No. 2 Squadron RAAF, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995 – Page 221
On 4 November 1944, Mitchell A47-8 was one of a formation of aircraft carrying out an attack on enemy barges, three miles west of Atapoepoe, Timor at approximately 1230 hours. During the attack, A47-8 was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the aircraft burst into flames and dived vertically from approximately 100 feet into the sea. All on board were killed.
The crew of members of A47-8 were:
Flight Sergeant Albert Edgar Hawkins (418837) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Richard Colin Palfreyman (436941) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Arthur Edmund Pott (405932) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Lieutenant Jack Edward Selway (403381) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer John Francis Stormon (415067) (Wireless Operator Air)
Pilot Officer Harry Benjamin Worman (417438) (Second Pilot)
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 A705, 166/32/533
Bibliography:
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Boston, Mitchell and Liberator in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992