LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Joseph Patrick SHANAHAN
Service No: 418186
Born: Sale VIC, 8 February 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 353 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 353 Squadron Dakota aircraft FL603), near Mumbai, 17 August 1945, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Kirkee War Cemetery, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Daniel Joseph and Elizabeth Dora Shanahan, of Orbost, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 17 August 1945, Dakota FL603 was engaged on a routine transport flight, being airborne at Santa Cruz/Bombay at 0725 hours en route for Mauripur (Karachi), when it appears that after being airborne for half an hours the port wing became detached in flight followed by the loss of the port engine and nacelle. The aircraft crashed near the village of Dahanu Jawhar, Bombay and the crew of three and six passengers were killed in the accident.
The crew members of FL603 were:
Warrant Officer Joseph Patrick Shanahan (418186) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Phillip William Williams (1375918) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Samuel Driffield Woodman (J/29198) (RCAF) (Pilot)
The passengers were:
Leading Aircraftman Anthony Cafferty (1535754) (RAFVR)
Flight Lieutenant John Michael Darlow (168713) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant George Edward Gazzard (328379) (RAF) No. 353 Squadron
Leading Aircraftman John James Jones (1183468) (RAFVR)
Flight Lieutenant Arthur Edward Leman (108416) (RAFVR)
Corporal Ronald Henry Turner (EX/1021) (Royal Marines)
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, 166/37/1215