SPEAR, John Sidney
| Service Number: | NX50797 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 June 1940 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Erskineville, New South Wales, Australia, 3 August 1919 |
| Home Town: | Sans Souci, Kogarah, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Accidental, New Guinea, 7 September 1943, aged 24 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section C. Plot 1. Row F. Grave 14. Inscription: "WE CANNOT SAY WE WILL NOT SAY THAT HE IS DEAD. HE IS JUST AWAY". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Private, NX50797, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion | |
|---|---|---|
| 24 Jun 1940: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX50797, 2nd/33rd Infantry Battalion |
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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 Sidney Spear – NX50797, was one of the 15 Australian Military personnel killed on impact.
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