Wilf Atkinson

Wilfred George Atkinson (9 April 1920 – 12 August 1943) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Carlton in the Victorian Football League (VFL). He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, and was killed in action when his bomber was shot down over the Aegean Sea in 1943. He was serving as a Pilot Officer in No. 232 Squadron RAF.

Wilf Atkinson
Atkinson in 1943
Personal information
Full name Wilfred George Atkinson
Date of birth (1920-04-09)9 April 1920
Place of birth Armadale, Victoria
Date of death 12 August 1943(1943-08-12) (aged 23)
Place of death Aegean Sea
Original team(s) Hampton
Playing career1
Years Club Games (Goals)
1942 Carlton 1 (0)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 1942.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Family

The third son of Hector Rupert Atkinson (1879–1958), and Marion Atkinson (1882–1946),[1] née Jackson, Wilfred George Atkinson was born in Armadale, Victoria on 9 April 1920. His brother, Leonard James Melbourne Atkinson (1918–), who also served in the Second AIF, was a prisoner of war of the Japanese.[2]

Football

Recruited from Sandringham, and having already enlisted in the RAAF,[3] and having commenced his training at Point Cook, he made his debut for Carlton, and played well in the centre, in the match against South Melbourne, Carlton's first match for the season, on 16 May 1942.[4] It was the only match that Atkinson played for Carlton; the following week he informed Carlton that he was unable to continue playing due to his transfer from Point Cook to another station.[5]

Military service

He served in the RAAF in World War II, having enlisted in May 1941. He was killed in action while flying on a Short Stirling when it was shot down over the Aegean Sea. On the flight, he was serving as a wireless operator.[6][7]

See also

Footnotes
  1. Deaths: Atkinson, The Argus, (Wednesday, 4 September 1946), p.20.
  2. World War Two Nominal Roll: Signalman Leonard James Melbourne Atkinson (VX12859), Department of Veterans Affairs; List of Army Casualties: Victoria: Missing, The Age, (Tuesday, 7 July 1942), p.3; Latest Lists of AIF Men Recovered: Victoria, Army News, (Wednesday, 3 October 1945), p.3.
  3. Carlton's Newcomers, The Argus, (Friday, 15 May 1942), p6.
  4. A former Geelong player, Jim Knight, who had transferred to Carlton because of Geelong's wartime withdrawal from the VFL competition also made his debut for Carlton in that match. Later, having also enlisted in the RAAF, Knight would also die in action — fighting the Japanese in New Guinea.
  5. League teams Train, The Argus, (Wednesday, 20 May 1942), p.8; Football is Keen, The Argus, (Friday, 22 May 1942), p.6.
  6. Service Casualties, The Argus, (Wednesday, 19 January 1944), p.8.
  7. "Wilfred George Atkinson". rafcommands.com. Retrieved 14 February 2020.

References
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