LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant James Thomson SMALL
Service No: 407594
Born: Rutherglen VIC, 31 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 November 1940
Unit: No. 11 Squadron (RAF), Landing Ground 116, Egypt
Died: Air Operations (No. 11 Squadron Blenheim aircraft 3872), Egypt, 19 February 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Jane Stewart Corson Small, of Pennington, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Woodville SA
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Blenheim 3872 of No. 11 Squadron went missing on 19 February 1942 from an operational flight to Landing Ground 121 in Sidi Barrani area, Egypt. The aircraft took off from Bade at 1130 hours on 19 February. The wreck of the aircraft was found on 31 March 1942, 68 miles west of Mersa Matruh, 1.5 miles north of the railway in the Sidi Barrani area. The identities of the missing crew
were established and the remains of the crew were buried. Following post war searches and investigations when no trace of the graves were found and it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew had no known grave
The crew members of 3872 were:
Sergeant Herbert Allan Clements (404025) (Observer)
Sergeant James Thomson Small (407594) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Robert Wheeler (400684) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
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, 163/162/294