TARANTO, Joseph Vincent
| Service Number: | NX154261 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | General / Motor Transport Company/ies (WW2) |
| Born: | Bondi, New South Wales, Australia, 7 April 1922 |
| Home Town: | Campsie, Canterbury, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | QC. Qualifying Certificate, Secondary School |
| Occupation: | Labourer (Shop Assistant / Fruiterer) |
| Died: | Accidental, New Guinea, 7 September 1943, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea CWGC Grave No: Section B. Plot 2. Row A. Grave 20. Inscription: "SADLY MISSED BY FATHER, MOTHER AND FAMILY. R.I.P.". |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 21 Jun 1943: | Involvement Private, NX154261, General / Motor Transport Company/ies (WW2), Enlistment/Embarkation WW2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1943: | Enlisted Port Moresby, New Guinea | |
| 21 Jun 1943: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, NX154261, General / Motor Transport Company/ies (WW2) |
Help us honour Joseph Vincent Taranto's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Joseph Vincent TARANTO was born in Bondi, Sydney, NSW on 7th April, 1922
His parents were Antonio (Jack) TARANTO & Josephine CALLOSE who married in Sydney in 1920
Biography 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. Driver Joseph Vincent Taranto – NX154261, was one of the 47 Australian Military personnel severely burned, succumbing to his injuries on the same day at the 2nd / 5th Australian General Hospital, Port Moresby.
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