REINKE, Jack Richard
| Service Number: | QX1585 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 November 1939, Hughenden, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Warrant Officer Class 2 |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bylthe, South Australia, Australia, 12 May 1917 |
| Home Town: | Riverton, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Accidental (Injuries), New Guinea, 7 September 1943, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section C. Plot 1. Row C. Grave 12. Inscription: "MARY, QUEEN OF HEAVEN PRAY FOR HIM R.I.P." |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Crystal Brook WW2 Memorial, Longreach War Memorial, Narridy and District Honour Roll |
World War 2 Service
| 19 Nov 1939: | Involvement Warrant Officer Class 2, QX1585, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Nov 1939: | Enlisted Hughenden, Queensland | |
| 19 Nov 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Warrant Officer Class 2, QX1585, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Sep 1943: | Discharged | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
Help us honour Jack Richard Reinke's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Bonald
On Tuesday, September 7th, 1943, at Jackson Field in Port Moresby, New Guinea, a B-24D Liberator bomber (The Pride of the Cornhuskers) from the 403rd Bomber Squadron, 43rd Bombing Group USAAF, crashed during take-off, likely due to pilot disorientation in the dark. The aircraft hit trees and slammed into a convoy of trucks carrying over 130 soldiers from D Company, 2/33 Infantry Battalion of the Australian Army, who were waiting to board C-47 transport planes to move to the front lines. The bomber’s 500-pound bombs and 2,800 gallons of fuel exploded, killing 15 Australian soldiers instantly and severely injuring 47 more, who later died. Another 90 soldiers were wounded but survived, all 11 crew members aboard the bomber (The Pride of the Cornhuskers) were killed. Warrant Officer Class 2 Jack Richard Reinke – QX1585, was one of the 47 Australian Military personnel severely burned, succumbing to his injuries on the same day at the 2nd / 9th Australian General Hospital, Port Moresby .
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