LEST WE FORGET
Wing Commander Norman George MULHOLLAND DFC
Commanding Officer, No. 458 Squadron
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 34098 (RAF)
Born: Sydney NSW, 18 June 1908
Enlisted in the RAF: 1933
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, RAF Station Holme-upon-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft AD539), near Malta, 16 February 1942, Aged 34 Years
Buried: Catania War Cemetery, Sicily
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Fredrick Hannam Mulholland, and of Clarice Estelle Mulholland, of Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Supplementary Panel 12, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wing Commander Mulholland was an Australian Cadet trained for the RAF who embarked for the UK on 30 June 1933.
On 14th February 1942 No. 458 Squadron was transferred from RAF Bomber Command to Middle East Command. On 15th February 1942 Wing Commander Mulholland commenced the ferrying out of aircraft and crews and led the first formation of four aircraft.
Wellington AD539 was shot down into the sea east of Sicily by enemy aircraft while in transit from RAF Station Stanton Harcourt to the Middle East. AD 539 overshot Malta and signalled it was being attacked by enemy aircraft when 30 miles from the island. The crew drowned with the exception of the Rear Gunner who became a Prisoner of War of the Italians.
The crew members of AD539 were:
Sergeant James Edward Andrews (619953) (RAF) (Front Gunner)
Sergeant Edward Anstee (1007177) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Leonard Arthur Brain DFC (88216) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Wing Commander Norman George Mulholland DFC (RAF) (34098) (Pilot) Commanding Officer No. 458 Squadron
Flying Officer John William Willis-Richards (46311) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) (Squadron Gunnery Leader) PoW
Sergeant Arthur Reginald Wills (402430) (Second Pilot)
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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/45/110
Newton, Dennis A Few of the Few: Australians and the Battle of Britain, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT 2600, 1990
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959