LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Leo George HARDIMAN
Service No: 411321
Born: Kempsey NSW, 20 March 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 April 1941
Unit: No. 145 Maintenance Unit RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 145 Maintenance Unit Spitfire aircraft PV197), near Casablanca, 30 November 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Ben M’sik European Cemetery, Morocco
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leo and Annie Mildred Hardiman, of Arncliffe, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Kempsey War Memorial, Kempsey NSW
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
At 1405 hours on 30 November 1944, Spitfire PV197 flown by Flying Officer Hardiman was detailed to carry out a daytime test flight and crashed at Bona Allem, 7kms east of Casablanca, Morocco and he was killed. He had reported that the engine had cut at 8,000 feet, and that he was attempting a glide landing. He attempted to bale out when the aircraft caught fire, but was unsuccessful. His body was found 500 yards from where the aircraft crashed and the rip cord had not been operated.
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, 166/17/876
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line