LEST WE FORGET
Corporal Henry Wilmot HORNBY
Service No: 7118
Born: South Australia, 9 November 1906
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 November 1939 (at RAAF Station Pearce WA)
Unit: No. 11 Squadron, Port Moresby PNG
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 11 Squadron Catalina aircraft A24-11), Kavieng, New Guinea, 15 January 1942, Aged 35 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Euphemia Amy Hornby, of Merredin, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Merredin WA
Remembered: Panel 36, Rabaul Memorial, PNG
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Catalina Base Memorial, Rathmines NSW
The Catalinas of Nos. 11 and 20 Squadrons were now called on to attempt an attack on the Truk base. The pilots chosen for the operation were Squadron Leader Price (1), Squadron Leader Davies, Flight Lieutenant Hemsworth (260275), Flight Lieutenant Thompson (2), Flight Lieutenant Beaumont (260), and Lieutenant G. H. Hutchinson (3) of the United States Navy, then serving with No. 11 Squadron. On 15th January, Davies, Hutchinson and Beaumont took their aircraft to Kavieng for refuelling while the other three went to Lorengau. In taking off from Kavieng the Catalina piloted by Davies crashed. All the crew and the aircraft were lost. Hutchinson brought his aircraft down at the scene of the crash in a vain attempt to rescue the crew.
(1) Wing Commander Thomas MacBride Price (172) was discharged from the RAAF on 23 March 1945.
(2) Wing Commander Charles Frederick Thompson DFC (260286) was discharged from the RAAF on 5 October 1945.
(3) Lieutenant Hutchinson was the Captain of Catalina A24-9 (Pilot Officer Thomas Nicoll Rowe (400293) (Second Pilot)) shot down on 21 January 1942.
Extract from Gillison, D.N. (Douglas Napier) (254475) Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1962 – Page 321
The crew members of A24-11 were:
Leading Aircraftman Frederick Henry Anthony (11085) (Wireless Operator)
Squadron Leader Thomas Henry Davies MID (163) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Russell Glentworth Hender (406105) (Second Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Leslie Thomas Hoare (20549) (Flight Mechanic)
Corporal Henry Wilmot Hornby (7118) (Fitter II Airframe)
Leading Aircraftman John Henry Marks (33898) (Fitter Armourer)
Leading Aircraftman Charles Ogilvie (32081) (Fitter II Airframe)
Leading Aircraftman Brian Charles James Wilcox (8137) (Wireless Operator)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National archives of Australia On-line Record A705, 163/123/193
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
McFarlane, C.C. (Cyrus C.) Tojo’s Fate: Australia’s secret war, Sid Harta Publishers Glen Waverley VIC 3150, 2009
McMillan A. (Andrew) Catalina Dreaming: rescues exciting missions and other stories about the famous Australian flying boats of WWII, Duffy and Snellgrove Potts Point NSW, 2002
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Catalina, Neptune and Orion in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1991