LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Michael John FAHEY
Service No: 430903
Born: Newmarket VIC, 9 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 April 1943
Unit: Air Gunnery School, West Sale VIC
Died: Aircraft Accident (Air Gunnery School Battle aircraft V1219), Seaspray VIC, 17 August 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Sale War Cemetery, Victoria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Michael and Eva Stella Fahey, of Hawthorn
Roll of Honour: Hawthorn VIC
Remembered: Panel 115, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1315 hours on 17August 1944, Fairey Battle V1219 crashed in the drogue dropping area at Seaspray, Victoria, and Sergeant Fahey was killed. When the aircraft was at 700 feet, without any warning greyish white smoke issued from the engine cowling just forward of the cockpit and enveloped the aircraft, which began to climb. On reaching 900 feet, the aircraft banked and dived with smoke continuing to pour out until it hit the ground. In the meantime, Warrant Officer Mately had been ordered to bale out and managed to do so from a height of 300 feet and landed safely about 50 yards from the wreck of the aircraft. Sergeant Fahey abandoned the aircraft at 200 feet but failed to pull his ripcord and was killed. It was suspected that a gycol leak was the cause of the accident.
The crew members of V1219 were:
Sergeant Michael John Fahey (430903) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Gordon Edward Matley (412992) (Supernumerary) Baled out, Discharged from the RAAF: 13 June 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, 166/13/288; A9845, 237