LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer James Joseph Alexander McFADYEN
Service No: 416688
Born: Adelaide SA, 17 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 126 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 126 Squadron Spitfire aircraft MK 418), Belgium, 8 December 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension, Veurne, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Alexander McFadyen and Merle Agnes McFadyen
Roll of Honour: Bridgewater SA
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Spitfire MK418 flown by Pilot Officer McFadyen took off from RAF Station Bentwaters on the 8 December 1944, along with other aircraft from the Squadron on an operational flight over enemy territory. The Squadron was operating in extremely bad weather conditions, and while MK 418 was trying to return to the Squadron’s base in England the aircraft was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire from Dunkirk. It appears that the pilot tried to force land his aircraft, but it crashed in a wood at Eggewaertscrapell near Veurne at about 1530 hours. Pilot Officer McFayden was killed in the crash.
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/26/704