LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant James Everest PATERSON
Service No: 414825
Born: Atherton QLD, 21 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Hani West Landing Ground, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE657), Central Mediterranean, 8 August 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James M. and Jessamine Flora D. Paterson, of Atherton, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington HE657 of No. 104 Squadron took off from Hani West Landing Ground at 2108 hours on the night of 7 August 1943 to attack Cape Palmi, Italy. Cape Palmi is on the south west coast of Italy, about 30 kms north east of Reggio. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following intensive post war searches of the Cape Palmi area, no trace of the missing aircraft or crew were found, and it was concluded that the crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HE657 were:
Sergeant Peter Anthony Reginald Chauncy (655480) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Garner (1503921) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Kenneth Hall (1502730) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Everest Paterson (414825) (Navigator)
Sergeant Norman Wilkie Spalding (413679) (Air Gunner)
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, 166/32/160