LEST WE FORGET
Corporal William John FALAHEY
Service No: 51407
Born: Williamstown VIC, 5 December 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 February 1942
Unit: No. 1 Aircraft Performance Unit, RAAF Station Laverton VIC
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1 Aircraft Performance Unit Vengeance aircraft A27-92), Near Whittlesea VIC, 25 May 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Springvale War Cemetery, Melbourne, VIC
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Daniel and Isabella May Falahey; husband of Jean Falahey, of Elsternwick
Roll of Honour: Caulfield VIC
Remembered: Panel 113, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1150 hours on the 25 May 1944, Vengeance aircraft A27-49 and A27-92 crashed six miles north of Whittlesea, Victoria, and all on board both aircraft were killed. The aircraft had taken off from Laverton on a non-operational flight to Bowen, Queensland via Sydney. They were flying in formation at a low altitude over mountains in mist and cloud, and crashed into high ground and burnt near Mount Disappointment.
The crew members of A27-92 were:
Corporal William John Falahey (51407) (Wireless Maintenance Mechanic, Supernumerary)
Flight Sergeant Roy John Hall (426002) (Pilot)
The crew members of A27-49 were:
Flying Officer Ralph Langley Erskine (419119) (Pilot)
Sergeant Phillip West (41360) (Clerk, Supernumerary)
Flying Officer Kenneth Alexander Wood (419363) (Navigator Wireless)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/13/238; A9845, 220