LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Geoffrey Albert O’HEA
Service No: 405464
Born: Kempsey NSW, 7 December 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 18 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 18 Squadron Mitchell aircraft N5-135), at sea near Sulawesi, 28 April 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Hope O’Hea and Violet Grace O’Hea, of Skillion Flat, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 10, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 101, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Kempsey War Memorial, East Kempsey NSW
Remembered: Former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Head Office Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
At about 0850 hours on 28 May 1943, Mitchell N5-135 was shot down while attacking shipping in position 04.40S 133.30E. N5-135 attacked at just above sea level, pulled up over the ship and went into a slow right roll, crashing into the sea, burst into flames and exploded. The five crew members were killed.
The crew members of N5-135 were:
Sergeant A H de Jongh (92347) (NEIAF) (Wireless Operator)
Second Lieutenant J B F de Knecht (NEIAF) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Neville George William Morris (414152) (Navigator)
Sergeant Geoffrey Albert O’Hea (405464) (Wireless Air Gunner)
First Lieutenant A F Oudraad (NEIAF) (Pilot)
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 A9845, 24; A9301, 405464
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Hurst, D. (Doug) The Fourth Ally: The Dutch forces in Australia in WWII, Doug Hurst, Canberra, 2001