Operation: Strafing

Date: 01st January 1944 (Thursday)

Unit: No. 17 Squadron (NZ)

Type: P-40N Warhawk

Serial: NZ2315

Code: N

Base: Torokina, Bougainville, Solomon Islands)

Location: Solomon Sea

Pilot: W/O. Bruce Allen McHardie NZ/413441 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a strafing attack on enemy positions along the New Ireland coast. Aircraft dived into the sea east of Cape St George after being hit by flak during a strafing run at 10:40 hrs

Pilot body not knowingly recovered..

Above: 17 Squadron Pilots involved in the first bomber assault on Rabaul. Ondonga, New Georgia.

L-R: Pat Bradley, Ian Pringle Speedy NZ/416589, Douglas Loftus Jones NZ/404875 - killed 09th January 1944, Don Williams, Peter Southey Worsp NZ[401420 killed 24th December 1943, Johnny Mills, Percival Guy Haig Newton NZ/1069, Alex George (partly obscured), Bruce Thomson, Robert Anthony Covic NZ/427035 killed 23rd December 1943, Jack Edwards, Bruce Allen McHardie NZ/413441 killed 01st June 1944. (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

Burial and other details:

W/O. Bruce Allen McHardie. Bourail Memorial. Panel 6. Born in Wanganui on the 19th January 1918. Educated at the Wangaehu Valley School. Employed on his father's dairy farm at Te Rapa, Frankton. Enlisted at Levin on the 15th June June 1941. Awarded the Flying Badge on the 03rd February 1942.

Son of James Allen McHardie (died 16th April 1966, age 76) and of Lillian McHardie (married 1913, née Perrett - died 06th October 1958, age 67) Husband of Dorothy Isabel McHardie (married 1944, née Robertson, later Pridham - died 14th April 2004, age 89), of Roslyn, Otago, New Zealand.

Above as described. Names in alphabetical order: Ronald Alfred Walter Abrahams NZ/391792, Gordon Stanley Booth, L.J Bryant, James Edgar Norman Corin NZ/414963, F.A Eden, P,G Ellis, A.J Faulkner, Douglas Charles William Hamblyn NZ/414977, H.I Herbert, A.E Jackson, Eric Snowden Kelly NZ/391525, J .T Madsen, John Richard Marsh NZ/414999, Bruce Allen McHardie NZ/413441, T.W Parker, Frederick Stanley Partridge NZ/41490, Frederick Bryan Pirani NZ/414674, Harry Alexander Ramsey NZ/415017, D.H Robertson, Kenneth Royce Russell NZ/415023, John Patrick Ryan J/4758 RCAF, E.A Saunders, J.L Scott, Douglas Bertrand Skellon NZ/415032, G. Stephens, T.W Stites, E.R Taylor, R.H.P Thew, Owen Arnold Twiname NZ/415043, Utrick Watson Wallace NZ/415045. (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, National Archive.

Other pages that may interest you:

Pages regarding 1944 losses

Pages detailing RNZAF losses

Other sources as quoted below:

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