The flag draped coffin of 2130 Corporal (Cpl) John Frederick Palmer, 29, of No. 2 Squadron RAAF ...

The flag draped coffin of 2130 Corporal (Cpl) John Frederick Palmer, 29, of No. 2 Squadron RAAF being carried by RAAF personnel to his funeral service at St Patrick's Cathedral. Cpl Palmer was one of the ten people killed in the crash of a RAAF Lockheed Hudson bomber aircraft at Canberra on 13 August 1940. Seven of those concerned were Brigadier G A Street (Minister for the Army), General Sir Brudenell White (Chief of the General Staff), Lieutenant Colonel F Thornthwaite (Army Liaison Officer), Mr J. V Fairbairn (Minister for Air), Sir Henry Gullett (Vice President Executive Council), Mr R E Elford (Secretary to Air Minister), Flight Lieutenant R E Hitchcock RAAF (aircraft captain). All victims were accorded a State Funeral and after the cortege passed along St Kilda Road, the above seven people's coffins were taken into St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral service while that of Cpl Palmer was taken from the procession to make a detour to St Patrick's Cathedral. The other two victims of the crash, Pilot Officer R F Wiesener (second pilot), was cremated at Rookwood Crematorium and Aircraftsman C J Crosdale was buried in a separate service at Cessnock