Born 26 February 1914 Wellington New Zealand. Died age 28 lost at sea WW2.
Parents Edward John Paton and Catherine Isabella nee Munro. Siblings Mary and Bruce.
Lived Mangaweka on family sheep farm.
Education
Mangaweka Primary School
Wanganui Collegiate School
Wellington College 1935
Employment
Farm Hand, Farmer & Royal New Zealand Navy
Volunteered for 12 yrs service 1935 age 22yrs 3 mths.
Ships served on Diomede, Achilles, Leander. Land bases Philomel, Cerberus, RN Sultan Singapore, Lanka Ceylon, Tana Kenya.
Died 1 November 1942 - lost at sea.
Commonwealth War Grave - Cemetery New Zealand Naval Memorial Devonport Auckland - panel 4
Significant events
On board ship trialling radar before war
Member of crew when Achilles handed over to RNZN
On Leander (sister ship) waved off Achilles leaving for Battle of River Platte
At HMS Sultan when Singapore fell to the Japanese
At Lanka when Japanese attacked the eastern fleet based at Trincomalee Ceylon.
While on transfer from HMS Tana Kenya to HMS Assegai Durban South Africa on board the British troopship SS Mendoza torpedoed by U-boat 178 and sunk 70 miles east/noreast off The Bluff near Durban.