MCLEOD, Othel Keith
| Service Numbers: | VX122632, V220845 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 20 January 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Lilydale, Victoria, Australia., 29 April 1909 |
| Home Town: | Oakleigh, Monash, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Teller, Bank of New South Wales. |
| Died: | Injuries, New Guinea, 9 September 1943, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section C. Plot 1. Row E. Grave 12. Inscription: "LOVING SON GAVE LIFE FOR HIS COUNTRY. MY ALL. MUM". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Wentworth Honour Roll |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Private, VX122632 | |
|---|---|---|
| 28 May 1941: | Involvement Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, V220845, 4 Field Regiment AMF, Enlisted for war service in the Australian Military Forces in Wentworth, Victoria. | |
| 20 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, VX122632, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
Help us honour Othel Keith McLeod'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. Private Othel Keith McLeod – VX122632, was one of the 47 Australian Military personnel severely burned, succumbing to his injuries on the 9th September 1943.
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