LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Reginald Malcolm PETERSON
Service No: 6169
Born: Bombay, India, 13 October 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 November 1939 (at RAAF Station Richmond NSW)
Unit: No. 84 Squadron
Died: Ground Accident, Townsville QLD, 5 May 1945, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Townsville War Cemetery QLD
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sydney Harold and Ivy Constance Peterson; husband of Marie Winifred Peterson, of Grenfell, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 5 May 1945, Sergeant Peterson, an authorised Driver Motor Transport driver and at the time the
Orderly Sergeant at No. 84 Squadron informed several people he would drive them from the Sergeant’s mess to the gate. On arrival at the gate, Sergeant Peterson then drove the jeep into Townsville. He then subsequently drove the jeep back to camp, and after passing through the main gate, preceded to the camp area at about 45 mph. The jeep was then driven around a turn at approximately 40 mph and commenced to swing from side to side on the road, finally going off on the left hand side of the road where it struck a rock and overturned. The occupants were thrown clear, but Sergeant Peterson was killed in the accident. Others in the jeep suffered minor injuries.
Sergeant Peterson had left the unit without the authority of the Commanding Officer or the Orderly Officer.
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, 108/3/116