McWILLIAM, James Robert Mitchell ‘Jim’ (1922-2010)
James Robert Mitchell McWilliam attended the College during 1938 after having previously been at Geelong Junior Technical School.
He enlisted in the RAAF on 19 June 1942, joined 463 Squadron, RAAF and flew Lancaster bombers mainly on night time raids on Germany. Squadron, 463 was to sustain the highest loss rate of any Australian bomber squadron during the war. On 23 October 1944 his aircraft was shot down near the port of Vlissengen and although 'Jim’ survived, he was subsequently imprisoned at Stalag Luft VII near Bankau. He was discharged from the RAAF in December 1945.
He died on 7 July 2010 age 87 years.
Sources: Geelong Advertiser 10 July 2010; Herald Sun (Melb) 10 July 2010: James Affleck (Comp) Geelong Collegians at the Second World War p378.