LEST WE FORGET

Flying Office Jack Waring Paix WALKER

Service No: 401354
Born: Melbourne VIC, 9 November 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 February 1941
Unit: No. 53 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 53 Squadron Hudson aircraft AM727), Trinidad, 15 September 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Port of Spain (St James) Military Cemetery, Trinidad and Tobago
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Errington and Elsie Victoria Walker. B.A. (Pittsburg).
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 15th September 1942 Hudson AM727 returned to Edinburgh Field, Trinidad, from an anti-submarine patrol. The visibility at the base and at Walker Field and at Nas Piarel was temporarily reduced to 500 yards due to a heavy thunderstorm. The aircraft made a circuit of the aerodrome with wheels down at an estimated height from 500 to 800 feet. It then entered the thickest part of the storm situated to the north west of the runway while still at that height. When next sighted the aircraft was just breaking through the storm below the level of a line of trees at right angles to the runway and approximately 200 yards from the commencement of the runway. The aircraft struck a tree with its starboard wing, the wing broke off and the aircraft crashed and immediately broke in half. All on board were killed.

The crew members of AM727 were:

AAM3C W M Booth Jnr (9222934) (USN) (Mechanic)
Sergeant Norman Frederick Brassington (922934) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alfred Major Parkin (931743) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Thomas Risbey (400834) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Jack Waring Paix Walker (401354) (Observer)

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, 163/63/224

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