Arthur Reginald MEAKER

MEAKER, Arthur Reginald

Service Number: 416275
Enlisted: 28 April 1941
Last Rank: Flying Officer
Last Unit: No. 10 Squadron (RAAF)
Born: Newport, England, 18 April 1910
Home Town: Unley, Unley, South Australia
Schooling: Adelaide University
Occupation: School teacher
Died: Flying Battle, Atlantic Ocean, 31 July 1942, aged 32 years
Cemetery: No known grave - "Known Unto God"
- At sea - Runnymede (Air Forces) Memorial, Surrey, England, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Memorials: Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Runnymede Air Forces Memorial
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World War 2 Service

28 Apr 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, 416275, Adelaide, South Australia
28 Apr 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 416275
31 Jul 1942: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 416275, No. 10 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
Date unknown: Involvement

Help us honour Arthur Reginald Meaker's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Julianne Ryan

Born: 18 April 1910 Newport, Monmouthshire, England

Father:  Arthur Edward Meaker and Mother Rosa Allice Meaker,
living at 30 Oxford Terrace, Unley, SA

Batchelor of Arts, at Adelaide University, SA.

Wife:  Brenda Amelia Meaker (b. 1/1/1913), living at 30 Oxford Terrace, Unley, SA.
         married 25/12/1937 in Adelaide, SA

Described on enlisting as 31 yrs old; married; 5' 9" tall; 173 lbs; fresh complexion;
hazel eyes; light brown hair; Methodist

28/4/1941     enlisted iat No.4 Initial Training School, Victor Harbour, SA
                    place of enlisting Adelaide, South Australia - No.5 Recruitment Centre
                    appointed as Air Crew

26/5/1941     Air Crew V (O) - posted to 2 AOS Mt Gambier, SA
21/6/1941     Air Crew II (O)

18/10/1941   posted to No.2 BAGS Port Pirie, SA

14/12/1941   posted to No.2 ANS Nhill

10/1/1942     posted to No. 6 SFFS Mallala

14/1/1942     discharged from RAAF, on being granted a commission

15/1/1942     apppointed Pilot Officer

21/3/1942     posted to 10th Squadron

12/5/1942     arrived in UK

15/7/1942     appointed Flying Officer in 10 SQUADRON

31/7/1942     killed in flying battle

On 31 July 1942 disappeared in the Galician coast Sunderland W3994, had departed from Mount Batten at 02:15 in antisubmarine patrol and did not turn to hear the device. The aircraft took the maximum load of anti-submarine bombs and was to carry out a patrol along the Spanish coast just outside territorial waters. No signals were received from the aircraft which failed to return from the mission.

The entire crew disappeared:-

Short Sunderland Mk II;  W3994, RB-X;  10 Sqn RAAF

F/Lt Eric Bruce Martin - 280,651 - RAAF
F/O Arthur Francis O'Dwyer - 405,185 - RAAF
P/O Ernest F. Hamilton Frith - 403,653 - RAAF
F/O Arthur Reginald Meaker - 416,275 - RAAF
F/O Christopher E. Thomas Bartram - 401,759 - RAAF
Sgt David Bell -. 406 430 - RAAF
Sgt John Russell Mullins -. 4701 - RAAF
AC1 Nevil Thomas Cuddihy - 14521 - RAAF
Sgt Clive Thomas Bingham -. 4559 - RAAF
AC1 Garnet William White - 13891 - RAAF
Sgt Herbert Henry Fealy. - 11069 - RAAF

LAC. Charles L. Kenneth Johnson - 34754 - RAAF


"Sunderland III, W3999 of No 10 (RAAF) Squadron exploded after making a successful forced landing on the sea after being attacked by an Arado Ar 196 during an ASR patrol." courtesy of Malcolm


No known grave

Commemorated on Panel 110 at Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede, Surrey, England.

His name is commemorated on Panel 100 at the Australian War Memorial ,
Canberra, ACT.

Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  13/6/2016.  Lest we forget.

 

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