'My uncle Jim: A Brobenah boy goes to war'

Jim grew up at Brobenah in Leeton shire and fought in World War II.

He was tragically killed during an aircraft accident in Scotland after returning from a mission.

He was flying with 206 Squadron RAF, based in Scotland and involved in Coastal Command missions searching out enemy submarines along the Norwegian coastline.

In September, it will be 80 years since Jim was killed. During the war he faithfully wrote to his little sister Dawn, now Mrs Dawn Irvin, who still lives in Leeton and will turn 92 this year.

"Mum has kept and re-read those letters, as have we all, and they are our only link with an uncle we never got to meet," Mrs Dunlop said.

"Many of his nieces and nephews have now visited his grave in Scotland and our children have also started making this family pilgrimage to visit uncle Jim. He will never be forgotten."

When my Uncle Jim left the family farm, "Hillview" Brobenah, north of Leeton, on June 12, 1941 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force, he was a young, handsome man of 21.

His carefree life of farming, bush schools, family get-togethers, tennis and local dances in the Brobenah Hall were put on hold.

James Henry Williams had "gone to the war."

Jim left behind his parents, Ted and Nellie Williams, older brother Norman, older sister Enid, younger brother Ken, and his little sister Dawn, my mother. She was just nine-years-old.

Over the next few years the two would write faithfully to each other, with letters and cards criss-crossing the globe as Jim trained in Australia and later in Canada.

He then served with the RAAF and later the RAF in Britain.

Two other brothers, Jack and Bill Williams, had also joined up and were to proudly serve in the AIF and RAAF.

Birthdays and Christmases came and went, but there were always letters from the boys, and for my mother, letters from Jim.

"Dear little sister, well honeychild ... from your letters I can tell that my little sister is growing up fast.

"I am pleased to note that the best little sister in the world has not forgotten her brother of the Air Force.

"Next time you write, send me a good old Aussie gum leaf, I would love to chew it."

And others letters followed outlining how Jim felt about the war and what was going on.

"It is a bad thing this war, but we are going to have a good time when it is over sis.

"What would you say if I came home with a wee Scotch lassie for a wife?"

Jim's letters were full of questions about home, family gossip, jokes and good cheer - a stark contrast to the world he was caught up in and the work he was doing as an RAF Wireless Air Gunner flying with Coastal Command.

"I'm in the pink and white and as happy as Larry" he wrote in 1943.

He also wrote of his yearning for home and his love of Australia and the bush.

"I know I can't, but I would still like to see a few gum trees and wattle," he wrote.

It seems tragically ironic that Jim's letters always ended with a wish to his family for "good luck and good times...", as Jim's luck ran out on September 14, 1944.

He was a crew member of RAF Squadron 206 Coastal Command, flying from Scotland to Norway to patrol the Atlantic Ocean in search of enemy submarines.

On this particular day, the crew had just returned from a mission and were attempting to land in poor visibility at Leuchars, near St Andrews in Scotland, when their Liberator aircraft ploughed into high ground killing all the 11 crew members on board.

It is 80 years since we lost Jim.

In that time my mother has visited Jim's grave at Leuchars in Scotland, in a beautiful quiet cemetery in sight of the Redstone Quarry hill that claimed his life.

Generations of family members have made the pilgrimage, placed gum leaves on his resting place, read his letters at the gravesite and buried Australian pennies near his headstone.

His headstone reads "his duty fearlessly and nobly done, ever remembered".

And he is ever remembered.

My mother has kept and treasured all of his letters, cards and photos.

They are our only link to an uncle we never met, but felt we knew through his warm, witty, wonderful words.

Service people, like my uncle Jim, went away to defend their country for all of us and they continue to do so.

These men and women have given us our world - opportunities, freedom, peace.

We are the children of Jim's sacrifice, the generations for whom they served.

We indeed have what Jim wished for his little sister in his letters all those years ago ... "good luck, bags of fun and love to all at home ... your brah, Jim".

Thanks uncle Jim.