LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Colin Edward COHEN
Service No: 255205
Born: Launceston TAS, 20 March 1902
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 April 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 9 Transportation and Movements Office, Tarakan
Died: Ground Accident, Tarakan, 1 May 1945, Aged 43 Years
Buried: Labuan War Cemetery Malaysia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gustavus and Lillian Maude Cohen; husband of Stella Lillian Cohen, of Kew, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Kew VIC
Remembered: Panel 114, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 1 May 1945, Flight Lieutenant Cohen (Administrative and Special Duties) was Officer in Charge of a detachment of No. 9 TMO personnel at Tarakan. He disembarked at Tarakan on May 1 and about 1400 hours found it necessary to return to the ship near the beach. To do this he had to cross a pontoon bridge between shore and ship. At the same time blasting operations were proceeding nearby. Although a warning was given of each blasting before the charge was let off, it was apparent that he did not hear the warning because of the noise of gun fire. He was half way across the bridge when a piece of metal struck him and he was killed.
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, 166/8/982