LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Patrick Gordon Thomas HOOLIHAN DFC
Service No: 425514
Born: Hughenden QLD, 9 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 March 1942
Unit: No. 92 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DSFC), 30 October 1945
Died: Air Operations: (No. 92 Squadron Spitfire aircraft JF333), Italy, 16 April 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Faenza War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Patrick and Dorothy Eland Hoolihan, of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: Throughout numerous operational sorties, Pilot Officer Hoolihan has displayed a high degree of skill, gallantry and devotion to duty. In November 1944, while attacking an enemy strong post, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and burst into flames. He flew over our lines when he was forced to leave the aircraft by parachute at a low level. On another occasion, his aircraft was damaged by fire from the enemy fire defences and he himself was wounded in the legs by splinters but undeterred he returned to the attack and destroyed the gun position. (London Gazette 30 October 1945, page 5283)
At about 1240 hours on 16 April 1945 Spitfire JF333 took off from Bellaria airfield, Italy, to carry out a mission behind enemy lines and bomb enemy targets in the Medicine area. JF333 was flying No. 3 in a formation of four aircraft. No 3 dived down to attack a gun and was seen by others in the section to be enveloped in flames and explode on the ground. The Section Leader called his section to say No. 3 had crashed when to his amazement PO Hoolihan himself replied “I’m OK have been hit by flak.” On being asked what side of the lines he replied “on the enemy side, I think.” The Section Leader called up again a few minutes later but there was no reply. It was later thought that the explosion seen by the Leader had been the explosion of a bomb released by Pilot Officer Hoolihan’s aircraft. Later in 1945 an American party found the wreck of JF333 in a field behind Casa, via Stradone, near the village of Castel Guelf.
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, 166/18/539