BORDONI, Geoffrey Wilfred
| Service Number: | WX21817 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 July 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2/1 Guard Regiment |
| Born: | Boulder, Western Australia, Australia, 3 January 1911 |
| Home Town: | Kalgoorlie, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Miner |
| Died: | Killed in Action, New Guinea, 7 May 1945, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lae War Cemetery (CWGC) Grave Reference Location ~ Plot QQ. Row D. Grave 6. Personal Inscription ~ "THY WILL BE DONE". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Kings Park Western Australia State War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Private, WX21817 | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX21817 | |
| 2 Jul 1944: | Transferred Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, 2/1 Guard Regiment |
Help us honour Geoffrey Wilfred Bordoni's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoff Tilley
Geoffrey Wilfred Bordoni was born on 3rd January 1911 at Boulder, Western Australia to parents Giovanni (Jack) Batiste Bordoni and Ruby Lydia Whitney who were married at Boulder in 1904. He was one of six siblings with four sisters and one brother.
His father Jack had emigrated from Sondrio Italy to Australia in 1887 taking up residence and employment in Kalgoorlie in 1893, gold mining.
Geoffrey worked as a miner in Kalgoorlie where in 1936 at Norseman he married Rose Marjory Clatworthy.
In July 1942 Geoffrey enlisted into the Australian Imperial Forces (A.I.F.) at Perth conducting his initial training at Northam.
He continued his training in Queensland and was originally attached to the 2/11 Infantry Battalion.
In November 1944 he embarked for overseas service from Townsville disembarking in Aitape New Guinea where he was transferred to the 2/1 Guard Regiment.
It was on 7th May 1945 that Geoffrey was located at Cape Wom, New Guinea when this area was dived bombed and strafed in error by nine Lockheed P38 Lighting aircraft of the United States Air Force.
The American aircraft mission was to attack the Japanese positions at Wewak but attacked Cape Wom by mistake, which was the next headland to Wewak.
Cape Wom was the position of the 19th Brigade Headquarters which Geoffrey’s regiment was assigned to along with other members from the Australian Artillery.
Due to the Lockheed P38 Lighting easily recognisable with its twin tail boom, the Australian’s did not take cover and where fully exposed to the mistaken attack.
A total of thirty-two Australians were killed or wounded, with two members from Geoffrey’s regiment.
Private Geoffrey Wilfred Bordoni, service number WX21817 of the 2/1 Australian Guard Regiment was killed in action on 7th May 1945. He was 34 years of age.
He is buried at the Lae War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea and is remembered with honour.
Click images to start slideshow.