LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Peter John HEDDERWICK MID
Service No: 401950
Born: Kew VIC, 26 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 43 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 43 Squadron Spitfire aircraft), Italy, 8 February 1945, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Faenza War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Bruce Pitcairn Hedderwick and Alice Katherine Hedderwick, of Kew, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 8 February 1945, a Spitfire flown by Flight Lieutenant Hedderwick, leading a section of four aircraft, took off from Rimini at 1430 hours on an armed reconnaissance over the Arganda-Terraim area. Intense and accurate 88m anti-aircraft fire was experienced. The 4 aircraft bombed a truck but no direct hit was obtained. They then strafed the truck and damaged it. They then strafed three more trucks, leaving one in flames and damaging the other two. Shortly after leaving this target, Flight Lieutenant Hedderwick told the formation over radio to keep close as he might have to bale out. Glycol was seen escaping from the aircraft. Then, when at about 1,000 feet the aircraft was seen to turn, dive into the ground and burst into flames at 1530 hours. The other aircraft orbited the scene but no parachute was observed.
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, 166/17/24