LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Christopher Vincent MADIGAN
Service No: 408856
Born: Seymour VIC, 20 July 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1941
Unit: Ferry Flight, No. 1 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Station Laverton VIC
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 14 Repair and Servicing Unit Spitfire aircraft A29-1210), Tadji, 15 November 1945, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Christopher Joseph and Catherine Margaret Madigan, of Middle Park, Victoria
Roll of Honour: South Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 113, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 15 November 1945, Kittyhawks A29-1210 and A29-527 collided after breakaway action had been taken prior to landing and both aircraft crashed at 1055 hours on the Tadji airstrip, Papua New Guinea. The aircraft were part of a formation of eleven Kittyhawks escorted by two Beaufighters, being ferried from Morotai to No. 5 Aircraft Depot Wagga.
The Pilots were:
Flying Officer Desmond Haigh Harrison (405734) (Pilot A29-527) Slightly Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 8 July 1946
Flying Officer Christopher Vincent Madigan (408856) (Pilot A29-1210)
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, 166/27/1194; A9845, 25