LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant William Francis Marcus HARTY

Service No: 427196
Born: Dublin Eire, 17 February 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1942 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 30 Squadron, Noemfoor Island
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 30 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft A19-206), Noemfoor Island, 16 November 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery, PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William John Sumption Harty and Nora Eveline Harty, of Perth, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 102, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA

One Beaufighter crashed on take-off at the side of Kamiri airfield and burst into flames. The pilot could not be reached because of the intense heat, but rescuers pulled the navigator out and he was rushed to a medical clearing station where, however, he died two hours later. Two passengers in the aircraft crawled through a hole and escaped.

Extract from Odgers, G.J. (George James) (VX127783) Air War Against Japan 1943-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1957 – Page 309

The advance detachment of 30 Squadron arrived at Morotai on 15 November and twenty-two aircraft left Noemfoor the next day. The move was not without incident. As they were departing from Kamiri, A19-206 crashed on take-off and burst into flames. Flying Officer Porch was killed outright and Flight Sergeant Harty seriously injured, died at the local medical clearing station some two hours later. Two passengers on board, Leading Aircraftman Heidke and Leading Aircraftman Parker, managed to escape without serious injury.

Extract from Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed Terry Hills NSW, 1980 – Page 35

On board A19-206 were:

Flight Sergeant William Francis Marcus Harty (427196) (Navigator)
Leading Aircraftman Edward Thomas Heidke (123274) Discharged from the RAAF: 4 January 1946
Leading Aircraftman Albert Parker (15602) Discharged from the RAAF: 11 December 1945
Flying Officer Rhys Morgan Porch (410724) (Pilot)

References:

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 22

Bibliography:

Parnell, N.M. (Neville M.) Whispering Death: A history of the RAAF’s Beaufighter Squadrons, AH & AW Reed Terry Hills NSW, 1980
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990

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