LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Joseph James PENDER
Service No: 400182
Born: Geelong VIC, 25 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 June 1940
Unit: No. 55 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 55 Squadron Blenheim aircraft Z7418), Libya, 19 October 1941, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Patrick and Mary Evelyn Pender, of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Geelong VIC
Remembered: Column 246, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 19 October 1941 Blenheim Z7418 took off from Fuka in formation with a Blenheim flown by Pilot Officer Downer to carry out a sea sweep against enemy shipping reported off the coast of Cyrenaica, and return to Sidi Barrani. The sweep was carried out as ordered. As it became dark the formation leader put his formation keeping lights on for the second aircraft to keep formation, which it did. It also switched on his navigation lights. As they were still over enemy territory, the leader instructed Second Lieutenant Murphy to switch off his navigation lights. He failed to comply with this order. The message was flashed by Aldis lamp. While passing Derna, Z7418 disappeared from sight. The leader continued on his flight and landed at Sidi Barrani at 1805Z. At approximately 1835Z an aircraft circled Sidi Barrani and fired off the correct recognition signal cartridge. The aircraft did not attempt to land but made off in an easterly direction. It failed to re-appear. A search next day by two Blenheims from the Squadron failed to find any trace of the missing aircraft. In 1948 the search for the missing aircraft was abandoned, the crew being registered as having no known graves.
The crew members of Z7418 were:
Second Lieutenant J N Murphy (94899V) (SAAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer John Campbell MacDonald (404282) (Observer)
Sergeant Joseph James Pender (400182) (Wireless Operator/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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/150/103