SIMMONDS, George Charles
| Service Number: | QX3124 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 November 1939 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia, 18 November 1912 |
| Home Town: | Bundaberg, Bundaberg, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Died: | Accidental , New Guinea, 7 September 1943, aged 30 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section C. Plot 1. Row F. Grave 6. Inscription: "HIS DUTY NOBLY DONE". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bundaberg Civic Centre Memorial Portico |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Private, QX3124, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 1939: | Enlisted | |
| 21 Nov 1939: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, QX3124, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
| 7 Sep 1943: | Discharged |
Help us honour George Charles Simmonds'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 George Charles Simmonds – QX3124 , was one of the 15 Australian Military personnel killed instantly on impact.
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