HICKEY, John Thomas
| Service Number: | NX36851 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 June 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Arncliffe, New South Wales, Australia, 26 January 1921 |
| Home Town: | Arncliffe, Rockdale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Chocolate Moulder / Pastry Cook |
| Died: | Injuries, New Guinea, 7 September 1943, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section B. Plot 2. Row A. Grave 24. Inscription: "ETERNAL REST GRANT UNTO HIM, O LORD; MAY HE REST IN PEACE. AMEN". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 18 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Private, NX36851, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX36851, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Sep 1943: | Involvement Private, NX36851, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion, New Guinea - Huon Peninsula / Markham and Ramu Valley /Finisterre Ranges Campaigns |
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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. Private John Thomas Hickey – NX36851 was one of the 47 Australian Military personnel severely burned succumbing to his injuries later that day at the 2nd/5th Australian General Hospital.
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