LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Trevor Kevin CASEY
Service No: 432119
Born: Maffra VIC, 16 September 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 75 Squadron
Died: Injuries from a Ground Accident, Morotai, 23 March 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gilbert James Casey and Alice Maud Casey, of Milson’s Point, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: North Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 103, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: North Sydney War Memorial, North Sydney NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
At about 0930 hours on the morning of 22 March 1945, Squadron Leader Clive Gardiner Tolhurst (280843) (Discharged: 19 September 1945) was driving the Squadron jeep on Route 5 Morotai, between the airstrip and the camp area. The jeep contained pilots of his Section which had just returned from an operation. Warrant Officer Casey was a passenger in the rear right corner. It had been raining heavily and the roads were very slippery. When passing Coral Pit on Route 5, Squadron Leader Tolhurst attempted to edge the jeep closer to the left hand side of the road to give greater clearance to a water tanker approaching. As he did so, the rear of the jeep developed a slide which he could not control, and the jeep collided with the water tanker. Warrant Officer Casey was seated near the point of impact and was thrown to the road probably being struck by the tool box on the tanker. He was unconscious and was transported by ambulance to No. 155 General Hospital. Warrant Officer Casey died of his injuries on 23 March 1945.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/7/912
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line