LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman John Ernest James WILLIAMSON
Service No: 82280
Born: Daveyhurst WA, 20 January 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 October 1942
Unit: No. 85 Squadron, Guildford WA
Died: Ground Accident, Guildford WA, 4 July 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Karrakatta War Cemetery WA
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Robert and Edith Alice Williamson, of Kalgoorlie; husband of Ellen Charlotte Williamson, of Kalgoorlie.
Roll of Honour: Kalgoorlie WA
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
At 1545 hours No 82280 LAC WILLIAMSON J.E.J. whilst engaged in cleaning a .303 gun Boomerang A46-77 was accidentally shot through the chest. The medical officer (Flight Lieutenant Joseph Segal (267406)) was at the scene of the accident within two minutes and took LAC Williamson to Hollywood Hospital. LAC WILLIAMSON was placed on the “Dangerously ill” list and died at approximately 1700 hours.
No. 85 Squadron Operations Record Book A50 Entry dated 4 July 1944
LAC WILLIAMSON was buried at approximately 1500 hours at KARRAKATTA War Graves Cemetery. The funeral was attended by the Commanding Officer (Squadron Leader Hilson Christopher Newton Daly (260354)), F/O HARRISON, Warrant Officer Richard Cleeve (7013) and 20 airmen of the Squadron. Chaplain GODDARD of 85 Squadron and Chaplain TIMSON of H.Q. Western area conducted the Service at the grave, after which the Last post and the Reveille were sounded by a bugler from the Army. Wreaths were sent on behalf of the Commanding Officer and Officers, the Sergeants’ Mess and the airmen of the Squadron.
No. 85 Squadron Operations Record Book A50 Entry dated 6 July 1944
We returned on a Lodestar and when at Forrest, met some of our Squadron going east. We spoke to them and were told that on the 4th of July, an airman, LAC J.E.J. Williamson, had been shot in the throat by a machine gun on one of the Boomerangs. He was in front of the plane. This was tragic as I knew the boy. He had died after reaching hospital and was buried in Karrakatta War Cemetery. Sadly he was married with two children and had come from Kalgoorlie.
Extract from Mitchell, A. (Alan) (205736) The Flying Inventor: the autobiography of an RAAF ground engineer, inventor and later pilot, Alan Mitchell, Woodlands WA, 2000 – Page 100
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
Metropolitan Cemeteries Board (Perth) On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/745
Bibliography:
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Wirraway, Boomerang and CA-15 in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1991