LEST WE FORGET

Flight Lieutenant Charles Oswald DUFFY

Service No: 251682
Born: 11 June 1916, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 August 1940
Unit: Headquarters RAAF Station Port Moresby PNG
Died: Drowned, off Port Moresby, 21 June 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles and Grace Duffy; husband of Dagmar Annette Duffy, of North Kew, Victoria. Pharmaceutical Gold Medalist
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 9, Port Moresby Memorial PNG
Remembered: Panel 114, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 21 June 1942, Flight Lieutenant Duffy and Pilot Officer Ward, a Pilot, was a member of a RAAF party that set out in a skiff from Port Moresby wharf, to make a trip to Fisherman’s Island about seven miles away. On the return journey the sea became very rough, and when about 300 yards from the shore, the skiff turned on its side throwing the occupants into the water. Some of the group swam ashore, but both Pilot Officer Cyril James Ward (405702) and Flight Lieutenant Duffy were reported missing. Both have no known graves.

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, 163/28/103

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