LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman Vincent Daniel MAHONY
Service No: 150526
Born: Ipswich QLD, 27 July 1925
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 September 1943
Unit: No. 100 Squadron
Died: Ground Accident, near Tadji airstrip PNG, 24 January 1946, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Daniel Vincent and Irene May Mahony, of Ipswich, Queensland
Roll of Honour: Ashgrove QLD
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The following statement was made by Corporal Harry Warren (39858) (Cook) (Discharged: 12 March 1946) of No. 100 Squadron: “On 24 January 1946 I accompanied a party of airmen to the bomb dump near Tadji airstrip, New Guinea. Two of the airmen obtained a case containing 4 x 10 fragmentation bombs. We then proceeded to a bridge about 3 miles from the bomb dump. On arriving at the bridge Leading Aircraftman Mahony commenced to fuse the bombs and I commenced to walk away from him. I heard Mahony say “it had gone out” and immediately an explosion occurred. It was apparent that Mahony was killed instantly and with Leading Aircraftman Bruce Chapman Boase (140157) (Discharged: 20 May 1946), I helped Leading Aircraftmen Milton Purvis Boston (84895) (Discharged: 11 March 1946) and William Armour Lewis (40586) (Discharged: 10 May 1946) who had been injured to the truck and took them immediately to No. 20 Medical Centre where they were admitted. Leading Aircraftman Boase and I were not injured.”
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 A705, 166/27/1217