LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Oliver George Frederick CLAXTON
Service No: 400552
Born: Armadale VIC, 4 November 1909
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 September 1940
Unit: No. 24 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 24 Squadron Hudson aircraft A16-145), between Lae and Rabual New Guinea, 19 January 1942, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert Alexander Claxton and Agnes Sarah Cecelia Claxton, of Harwood Island, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 36, Rabaul Memorial PNG
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 19 January 1942, Hudson A16-145 was being brought up as reinforcement to No.24 Squadron and it was being ferried to Rabaul from Townsville. A Naval Coast watcher stationed on the north coast of New Britain near the Kabu River reported that on 19 January 1942 an aircraft passed over in the direction of Rabaul at approximately 2000 hours. From then nothing further was heard and A16-145 failed to arrive at Rabaul.
The crew members of A16-145 were:
Sergeant Oliver George Claxton Frederick (400552) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer James Sinclair McIntyre (402995) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Paul Pryde Paterson (260515) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman James Arthur Wilson (9164) (Wireless Operator)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/97/118