LEST WE FORGET
Private Frederick William FINNEY
Service No: NX191460 (Australian Army)
Born: Sydney NSW, 28 January 1920
Enlisted in the Army: 24 April 1941
Unit: Northern Territory Garrison Company AAMC
Died: Air Raid: NT, 15 June 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Adelaide River War Cemetery NT
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ethelbert Selman Finney and Myra Isabell Finney, of Hurstville, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Newtown NSW
Remembered: Panel 65, Supplementary Panel 9, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Throughout May the enemy did not attack Darwin but in June they endeavoured to make up for this by a concentrated series of attacks on four consecutive days. Three of these raids were made by 27 bombers with an escort of 18 or 20 fighters. Their main targets were the R.A.A.F. aerodrome and Darwin itself. Considering the weight of the attacks the cost to the defenders was light—16 casualties (4 killed and 12 wounded) on the ground and some damage to installations. The month’s air operations showed an enemy loss of 13 aircraft against 9 lost by No. 49 Group USAAC.
Extract from Gillison, D.N. (Douglas Napier) (254475) Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1962 – Page 559
The four casualties all incurred on 15 June 1942 were:
Private Frederick William Finney (NX19146)
Mr Ronald James Giess (Civilian, Commonwealth Railways employee)
Mr Neville Mogg (Civilian, Commonwealth Railways employee)
Private Colin William Moore (SX38297)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B883, NX191460