William Albert Kinloch

Known as Billy

1923-1945

Father Nm: William Turnbull Kinloch born 29 May 1886 Alexandria, DUN, Scotland, died 29 July 1957 Leeton NSW

Mother Nm: Gertrude M Robilliard b. 10 May 1982 died 6 Apr 1974 Leeton, New South Wales.

Marriage Dt:

K comments: Brother in Law Harold Blencowe served in the RAAF in WW2

Spouse comments:

Children.

Born 1922

6 November 1922, Leeton, New South Wales, Australia

WW2

William Albert Kinloch, Warrant Officer, 421988, 464 Squadron, RAAF

Synopsis

Billy a 19-year-old Hardware store assistant traveled from the small town of Leeton to Sydney in 1942 and signed up with the RAAF. He did well in training and within 11 months had earned his wings and was selected for Bomber training in Canada he went there in 1943.

There he met a fellow countryman Justin Mulligan the same age and almost immediately they were paired together for training in New Brunswick, learning how to navigate at night, bomb, and use the Cannon onboard to destroy vehicles bridges, etc.

In late 1943 he was sent with Justin for more Operational Training in England and in June 1944 they were transferred to RAAF 464 Squadron based in Sussex, England, and tasked with supporting the Normandy invasion and then the allied advance across north west Europe.

Billy and Justin flew 60 missions across Europe hitting enemy targets in France, Holland Denmark, and Germany. The risks were great and comrades were lost and so it was inevitable one mission would not go well.

On 12 January the by now very experienced crew had a mission on the German-French border in the Ardennes area, What happened exactly is not known, but they were likely hit by enemy fire and as a result, crashed and landed in Priederpreum, Germany being killed outright it seems.

1942

• • 24 April. Enlisted in RAAF. At No 2 Recruiting Centre, Sidney. Billy age 19 years and occupation Hardware Store assistant.

    

  • 27 May. Given rank Navigator.
  • 11 June. Attended No. 1 Initial Training School Somers, near Westernport Bay in Victoria. Billy began Basic Training, detailed screening of candidates was also carried out to allocate them for aircrew roles (called ‘musterings’) including Pilots, Navigators, Bomb Aimers, Wireless Operators, and Air Gunners, before transferring to other schools either in Australia or in other Commonwealth countries to complete their training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

    

  • 27 November. Promoted to S/Sergeant

• 10 December. Attended No. 11 Elementary Flying Training School, Benalla, Victoria. The training was done in Tiger Moths and Wackett Trainers.

  

• 10 December. Posted to No 1 Air Observers School, Cootamundra. for training

1943

In 1942-43 Billy’s sister Joyce (Kinloch) Blencowe was living in Melbourne and she wrote this in her journal.

“As Billy happened to be also stationed in Melbourne at that time, we were able to see him at weekends. He would spend one day with us and the other with his girlfriend, Peggy Mott. He’d been at Scot’s College while I was home in Leeton hairdressing, so I felt that I got to know him in Melbourne. The three of us would go ice skating at St Kilda.

It was whilst skating at St Kilda, that we lost the key to our room. Miss Cleaver wouldn’t give us a replacement one, so I’d put a chair under the doorknob each night, and then push the lounge chair up against it. One night I saw the doorknob turn, so I began sleeping with a pepper pot and a knife under my pillow. One night I woke up screaming forgetting that Harold was there.

Billy was posted to Canada soon after his training. The last time we saw him was marching past the David Jones store in Sydney. They marched straight down the street, onto the boat, and away.”

• 8 March. posted to West Vale
• 29 April. Billy issued with his wings

  

  

• 15 June. Embarked for Canada from Brisbane to Attend Canadian Air Force Training called the Empire Training Scheme. Billy arrived on 3 July in Edmonton.
• 3 July. Billy is given a medical at No 3MD CAF Edmonton
• 24 July. Navigation training by CAF at No. 2 Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick (Nos. 1 & 2 Air Navigation Schools offered four-week courses in astronavigation and were the last step for Air Observers.)
• September-October Attended 34 Operational Training Unit at Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick. Logbook total 203 hours of day and night training flights, most with Justin Mulligan and using Ventura Aircraft.

  

• 1 November. Embarked from Canada for England arriving on 11 November.
• 11 November. Posted to No 11 Personnel Dispatch  Receiving Centre Brighton, Sussex. RAAF aircrews arriving in the United Kingdom would wait at Brighton for up to 3 or 4 months before being posted to training or other units

1944

• 29 February. Attended 60 Operational Training Unit  RAF High Ercall ( 7 miles (11 km) northeast of Shrewsbury, Shropshire) Training intruder crews using the de Havilland Mosquito. The logbook tells us Billy clocked 82 Hours night/day flying in the Mosquito Bomber and that Justin Mulligan was again is flying crew partner

Note: RAF OTU was the last stage of training for aircrew before being assigned to an operational unit in NW Europe and other theatres of war.  By this stage, individuals had undertaken all their preparatory and qualification training, and shortly after arrival the the OTU, if they were operating a crewed aircraft, they would be ‘crewed up’ with the other men with whom they would go to war. Note that Justin Mulligan was already paired with Billy and so that naturally continued.

• No. 11 Personnel Despatch & Receiving Centre RAAF
• 31 May. Posted to No.2 Group Support Unit.  Stanton Morley, Norfolk

Note:

In June 1944, the No. 2 Group Support Unit (GSU) of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was involved in various missions, primarily supporting operations in the European theater. Their activities included:

1. **Transport and Supply Missions:** Supporting Allied forces by transporting personnel, supplies, and equipment.
2. **Reconnaissance Flights:** Conducting reconnaissance to gather intelligence on enemy positions and movements.
3. **Support for D-Day Operations:** Assisting in the logistics and supply chain during the D-Day landings in Normandy, which began on June 6, 1944.

• 26 June^*. Billy joins the 464 Squadron based at RAF Thorney Island, West Sussex from No 2 GSU. This is part of a large group of replacements. Note: Billy’s flying partner Flight Sergeant R.J. Mulligan is recorded as having joined the 464 Squadron on 28 June^*. Billy already has 300 hours of flying time in his Logbook before joining 464 Squadron.

^* Logbook entries begin 28 June Billy records he arrived on the 26 June. War diary also says 2 Aussie crews joined around 27 June

Note: The Logbook of Warrant Officer William Albert Kinloch 42198888 to this page gives flight-by-flight details in the document. I have highlighted some sorties as examples of what Billy and Pilot Mulligan did in the 2 tours they flew.

• June. Three practice flights in Mosquito PZ355 to get used to the Aircraft/base landing etc. and probably for local RAAF assessment.
• July. Supporting Operation Overlord bombing, strafing ground transport, etc 13 operational sorties in total.
  • 3 July. Bombed Railway Bridge at Tours, France, and Mach gunned Authon, Herbault, and La Chappelle airfield. Mosquito S
  • 10 July. Patrolled Albert, Arras Area Mosquito Z
  • 27 July. Bombed Bridge south of Brecey Mosquito S
• August. Continuation of support for Operation Overlord.  17 operational sorties in total.
  • 7 August. Bombed Flers, roads and railway..Mosquito Y
  • 22 August. Low-level formation to Chagny railway junction Bombed train, photos were taken. Light flak.Mosquito Z
  • 26 August. Bombed Motor Transport south of Rouen.Mosquito Z
• September. Continuation of support for Operation Overlord.  9 operational sorties in total weather were to cancel at least one operation. Supporting Operation Market Garden Arnhem.
  • 8 September. South Holland cannoned Schelde Crossing Bombed Heuzen. Mosquito Z
  • 19 September. Bombed and Strafed Trucks in Marshelling Yards at Roosendaal. Mosquito Z
  • 28 September. Flying from High Wycombe air base. Bombed to petrol trains at Zwolle. Mosquito Z
• October. 9 sorties covering Holland and Denmark The highlight and the one sortie Billy earned an honour for happened on the last day of the month.
  • 31 October. The Aarhus Air Raid.  25 Mosquitoes from 140 Wing Royal Air Force (RAF) of the 2nd Tactical Air Force, bombed the Gestapo headquarters at the University of Aarhus, Denmark. After the Second World War, the RAF called the mission the most successful of its kind during the war. Billy and the Pilot Officer flew on this mission. From log – Daylight Raid, Took off from High Ercall air base and Bombed Gestapo HQ . Mosquito Z

• End of First Tour with 464 Squadron. Some Leave.
• 27 November. Promoted to Warrant Officer.
• December Second Tour of Dury
  • 11 December. Patroled Leeuwarden Groningen Canal Holland, Bombed causing 5 other explosions Mosquito N
  • 18. December. Aachen, Germany. Bombed and Strafed Motor Transport. Mosquito X
  • 25. December. S Pelm Germany. Bombed and Strafed Ammunition Train causing numerous explosions and starting fires Mosquito R

1945

• 4 January. Mosquito PZ350: Took off at 02:30 hrs for night mission. 04/01/1945
  Abandoned the task and he returned early due to GEE u/s. ie radio navigation aid not working. ( Landing at 04:00 hrs.Crew:
  P/O (Aus.423164) Justin Reginald MULLIGAN (pilot) RAAF – Ok
  W/O (Aus.421988) William Albert KINLOCH (nav.) RAAF – Ok
• 12 Jan. 464  Sq Operation return for 13 January says Billy had flown 12 missions on his second tour.
• 12-13 January PZ350 Pilot Officer J R Mulligan, Warrant Office W Kinloch Navigator Missing
• 12-13 January. Killed on a Mission. Mosquito PZ350 took off from RAF Thorney Island at 03:15hrs on 13 January. It was one of 14 aircraft directed to attack targets in the battle areas of Northern Europe.  It was reported missing after all other Squadron Aircraft had returned. Later In 1948, an Investigation confirmed that the aircraft had crash-landed (from presumed enemy action)  near Niederpreum Germany.

  

Medals

Sources

Note: I did something new with my research on this man I used Google, Monica AI Chat, and found on the interrogation of facts it could be relied on to provide details very quickly that could be validated. Interrogation was necessary as if got some facts wrong but when challenged corrected them. My confidence factor on this information used in this page is then 95% which for the purposes I’m using this for is acceptable I think.

1. 1. Find My Past  and BFA database
   2. The Log Book and Service Record of WA Kinloch
   3. Operational Reports for 464 Squadron National Archives UK
   4. War diary for 464 Squadron National Archives UK
   5. Monica AI Google Chrome feature.
   6. Australian Virtual War Museum
   7. National Australian Archives

After the War

1945

The news of their son missing must have been unbearable, and the agony of not knowing with certainty was to last for 4 years when they learned to details of where and how their son had died.

Death

13 January 1945, Priedrprum, Germany.

Burial/Commemoration Details: 8. H. 25. at Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany

2024

Gallery

Billy’s Pilot Comrade who lost his life also on 13 Jan 1944

 

AppendiCES

1. The Logbook of Warrant Officer William Albert Kinloch 421988

464 Squadron tours 1944-1945  (Pages scanned from the full log book)

2. The De Havilland DH-98 Mosquito

The De Havilland DH-98 Mosquito was a twin-engine, two-seat aircraft used as a fighter, bomber, and reconnaissance plane. Its design featured a lightweight wooden airframe, allowing for high speeds and heavy payloads. Despite initial resistance from the British Air Ministry, production began in 1941, and the Mosquito quickly became essential for various missions, including bombing, reconnaissance, and air combat.

Constructed from materials like Alaskan spruce and Ecuadorian balsa, it was dubbed the “Wooden Wonder.” The Mosquito’s innovative design allowed it to excel in precision attacks at low altitudes, minimizing exposure to enemy defenses. Over 42 variants were built, and it played a crucial role in World War II, including operations against V-1 flying bombs and U-boats.

The aircraft’s development drew from earlier models like the D.H. 88 Comet and D.H. 91 Albatross, utilizing advanced wooden construction techniques. The prototype flew in 1940, and by the end of the war, the Mosquito had proven itself as one of the most successful combat aircraft, with operations extending into the post-war period across various countries. Notably, one Mosquito completed more combat missions than any other Allied aircraft, flying 213 missions before its destruction in 1945. source the Smithsonian In Washington DC which has an aircraft in its museum.