LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Desmond Pius O’DONOGHUE
Service No: 416784
Born: Marion SA, 23 October 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 September 1941
Unit: No. 236 Squadron (RAF) RAF North Coates, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 236 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft NE664), North Sea, 21 March 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Timothy Frederick and Annie Maria O’Donoghue, of Kensington Park, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 283, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Beaufighter NE664 of No. 236 Squadron took off from RAF North Coates, together with three other squadron aircraft to carry out operations off the Dutch coast. At 2336 hours an attack was made by all the aircraft on enemy shipping, and after this nothing was seen or heard from ‘J’ for Johnny, NE664, and the aircraft did not return to base. In 1949 it was recorded that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of NE664 were:
Flight Sergeant Keith Allen (1392900) (RAFVR) (Navigator Wireless)
Warrant Officer Desmond Pius O’Donoghue (416784) (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
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/31/183