LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Bruce Anthony PALME
Service No: 432562
Born: Annandale NSW, 15 October 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 January 1943
Unit: No. 77 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 77 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-909), Halmaheras, 23 November 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Richard Reuben and Margaret Stewart Palme, of Parramatta, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Parramatta NSW
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: St. Patrick’s College Memorial Chapel and Honour Roll, Strathfield NSW
During a bombing and strafing mission from Morotai against enemy positions in the Halmaheras area on 23 November 1944, Kittyhawk A29-909 flown by Flight Sergeant Palme was last seen pulling out of a dive at 10,000 feet having released its bombs. Soon after pulling out the pilot reported that he was having glycol trouble, and that he was on a heading and bearing 060 degrees Galila to Pitoe, 15 miles distant and then he said he was baling out. The aircraft was one of a 12 aircraft formation. Searches were carried out but no trace of Flight Sergeant Palme was found. It was later established that the aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Galila Township and that Japanese soldiers had buried Flight Sergeant Palme on a beach near the wreck of A29-909.
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, 166/32/575; A9845, 168
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line