William Eccleton was born on the 22 February, 1916 at Levin, Manawatu, New Zealand. He enlisted on the 22 July, 1940 at Sydney, N.S.W. He attained the rank of Flying Officer.
He was one of 1500 New Zealanders who served with the R.A.A.F. during WW2 and had joined the Squadron in May '41 for his first operational posting.
Service Number: 402232
Rank: Flying Officer
Unit: No. 452 Squadron
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Conflict / Operation: Second World War, 1939-1945
Conflict eligibility date: Second World War, 1939-1947
Date of death: 19 August 1941
Place of death: France
Cause of death: Flying Battle
Cemetery or memorial details: Dunkirk Town Cemetery, Dunkirk, Nord Pas de Calais, France
Source: AWM148 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, Air Force
Group portrait of pilots of No. 452 (Spitfire) Squadron RAAF at RAF Station Kirton-in-Lindsey, the first fighter squadron of which the flying personnel (with the exception of two flight commanders) are entirely Australian. It became operational in May 1941. Identified left to right: 287473 Sergeant (Sgt) Paul St John Makin; 400141 Flying Officer (FO) Keith Kipling Cox (accidentally killed in the United Kingdom, 23 January 1944); possibly Archie Stuart; Flight Lieutenant (F/LT) Brendan Eamonn Fergus "Paddy" Finucane RAF, DSO, DFC & two Bars (killed during operations over Etaples, France, on 15 July 1942, aged 21 years); 407078 Ian Arthur Lace Milne ; 402120 Sgt James Neate Hanigan (killed on active service at Carlisle, England, on 7 September 1941, aged 24 years); 402129 Frederick Revis McCann; 402144 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) Raymond Edward Thorold-Smith (killed during operations over the Timor Sea on 15 March 1943, aged 24 years); 257414 Sqn Ldr Robert Wilton Bungey DFC (killed in a ground accident in South Australia on 10 June 1943, aged 28 years); 400166 Flying Officer (FO) William Douglas Willis (killed during operations near Rouen, France, on 18 September 1941, aged 24 years); possibly 402007 Flt Lt Alex Roberts; 400148 FO Donald Edwin Lewis (accidentally killed over the English Channel on 21 January 1942, aged 19 years); possibly Flt Lt Dougas; 404086 Sgt Andrew Gordon Costello (killed during operations over the United Kingdom on 5 July 1941, aged 23 years); 400213 Sqn Ldr Keith William "Bluey" Truscott DFC & bar (killed in an accident near Exmouth Gulf, WA, on 28 March 1943); 402115 Sgt Richard George Gazzard (killed during operations over Belgium on 19 August 1941, aged 21 years). Absent: 404087 Pilot Officer Raife James Cowan, 408022 Justin O'Byrne (later POW); 402232 PO William Davies Eccleton (killed in action in France on 19 August 1941, aged 25 years); PO R T Holt.
L – R: Alex Roberts, Dick Gazzard, 'Paddy' Finucane, 'Bluey' Truscott, Ian Milne, Fred McCann – 452 Squadron UK
Except for Fred McCann and Ian Milne (P.O.W.); all these pilots from 452 Squadron were killed-in-action
A Supermarine Spitfire Mk IIA of No. 452 Squadron RAAF landing at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, over other aircraft parked in the 'B' Flight dispersals.
Dunkirk Town Cemetery
