William John BIRMINGHAM

BIRMINGHAM, William John

Service Number: 406500
Enlisted: 6 January 1941
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF)
Born: Fremantle, Western Australia., 30 January 1921
Home Town: Not yet discovered
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Orchardist
Died: Accidental, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, 28 July 1942, aged 21 years
Cemetery: St Mary’s Churchyard Manby, Lincolnshire.
Grave 15. INSCRIPTION FROM DWELLINGUP, WESTERN AUSTRALIA , St Mary Churchyard, Manby, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Flight Sergeant, 406500
6 Jan 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 406500, No. 103 Squadron (RAF)

Help us honour William John Birmingham's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon

 Enlisted Perth, WA.

Son of Herbert E. and Dorothy A. Birmingham, of Dwellingup, Western Australia.

Flight Sergeant Birmingham was one of 7 airmen killed in the crash of their Halifax aircraft at Cold Harbour Farm, Ludborough, Lincolnshire. The other casualties of this aircraft accident were:-

RAFVR Sergeant Douglas Charles COCHRANE,
RCAF Flight Sergeant Francis Leon Joseph HARTNETT,
RCAF Flight Sergeant Alexander Francis PEARSON,
RAF Flight Sergeant Stanley Norman RYDER,
RAF Sergeant Stewart William STOCKFORD and 
RAF Sergeant Leonard Joseph STOREY.

 

Royal Australian Air Force
Unit: 103 RAF Squadron (MOTTO: 'Noli Me Tangere')

 

In August 1938, RAF Manby opened as a training station housing No. 1 Air Armament School and subsequently the Empire Central Armament School, which opened early in 1943. It became the RAF Flying College in 1946 and then the College of Air Warfare until its closure in 1974. Inevitably there were accidents, some of which involved fatalities.

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