Harold McGILLIVRAY
Year of Birth: 1909
Place of Birth: Wycheproof, Victoria, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 21 October 1940, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Australian Defence Force: Royal Australian Air Force
Rank: Corporal
Unit(s): No.20 Squadron
Service Number: 19268
Died: 13 April 1943
Age: 33 years
Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot A – Row B – Grave 5
Harold was born 13 August 1908, his parents were William Gray and Sarah Alice (Dickens) McGillivray and he had one sister.
He married Lena Frances McNamara in 1939 and they had two children.
Harold was killed when the PBY-5 Catalina, A24-36 ( USN 08190) of 11 Squadron RAAF, crashed into Cairns harbour on a return from a night-time search patrol.
Also killed were Flight Lieutenant Arnold Hinchliffe – pilot/captain, Sergeant Lenard Carr Airman pilot, Flight Officer Leslie Lancedene Henstridge WAG, Sergeant James Vernon Stothard Lahey navigator, LAC Malcolm Frederick Merrett fitter. Three survived, Sergeant George Geffrey Suckling WOAG – seriously injured, Corporal Lawrence Edwin Webber – fitter 11A – slightly injured, Leading Aircraftman Murray Lochart Byham – Amourer – seriously injured.
They had flown for 23 hours 23 minutes and ran out fuel. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Harold McGillivray’s name is on the Wycheproof Roll of Honour board and also located on the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
Online Resources
NAA: A9301, (McGILLIVRAY Harold) National Archives of Australia
Department Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Rolls
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
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