A photo has surfaced recently of a 1934 under-16 football team from Albury's Christian Brothers' College, undefeated in local schoolboy competition.
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In the front row sat two lads who shared much in common. James Reid was born in Wagga, Edward (Ted) Reis in Albury. Their surnames differed by just the last letter, both grew up in Albury, attended the same school, were both great football and tennis players. Both became RAAF pilots and both were killed in World War II while attached to RAF squadrons flying out of India.
Ted was killed in India in an "aircraft accident" on October 27, 1942. He is well remembered in Albury, especially by his extended family.
James was killed over Burma on February 10, 1945, and has been virtually forgotten locally.
The Border Morning Mail reported on February 20, 1945, under his photo and the heading Jimmy Reid is Missing that "Jimmy Reid, serving with the RAAF abroad has been posted missing. Jimmy, a star tennis player, was employed at Maples Albury branch prior to joining up. A great lad, always with a smile, he had a host of friends".
No family left in Albury
There was no further mention of "Jimmy" in later editions of The Border Morning Mail. This was perhaps because he had no family left in Albury; his mother had died in 1935 and his father and sister Joan had moved to Manly before James had enlisted.
James had relatives in Deniliquin and in May 1945, the Deniliquin Pastoral Times published an official letter addressed to his father: "... your son took off in a Dakota aircraft in company with three other aircraft on a special operation over Burma. Your son's aircraft was last seen over the target, and all four aircraft sent messages stating that the sortie was successful ... The three accompanying pilots upon returning stated that the weather ... was extremely bad, clouds were up to 15,000 feet or more ... turbulence was excessive, and the aircraft almost uncontrollable. Extensive air searches were carried out to locate the missing aircraft".
A further article of July 12, 1946, in the same newspaper quoted that the Air Ministry London "presumes that your son lost his life on February 10, 1945 ... every effort will be made to obtain information which may give you the comfort of more definite knowledge of the manner in which your son lost his life."
In a book published in 2006, Alan Storr, ex-RAAF, concluded "Following post war investigations it was recorded that pilot Reid and four crew had no known grave." Before his final flight, James had 420 hours' flying experience, mostly in Wellington bombers.
Lest We Forget
