425514 Pilot Officer (PO) Patrick Gordon Thomas Hoolihan, RAAF attached to No. 92 Squadron RAF. A native of Hughenden, Queensland, he enlisted on 28 March 1942. Whilst serving as a pilot with the RAF in the United Kingdom, PO Hoolihan was killed whilst on operations over Italy on 16 April 1945, aged 24. He was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on 30 October 1945 for his "skill and gallantry on a large number of sorties".
Patrick Hoolihan
Service Number: 425514
Rank: Pilot Officer
Unit: No. 92 Squadron (RAF)
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Conflict: Second World War, 1939-1945
Date of death: 16 April 1945
Place of death: Italy
Cause of death: Flying Battle
Cemetery or memorial details: Faenza War Cemetery, Italy
Source: AWM148 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, Air Force
Quote from Operations Record Book:
The 16th was another great day when the Squadron destroyed one tank, twelve lorries, three Armoured Fighting Vehicles, two guns and four ammunition carriers. The enemy defended themselves stoutly and as a result of intense light flak four aircraft were severely damaged and Warrant Officer P. Hoolihan from Australia was forced to land. The last thing that he was heard to say was “I think I’m going to land on the Hun side of the lines”. Whether he managed to get his kite down successfully and was taken prisoner was not known but later when that area was cleared of enemy troops, Captain Jacobs and Flight Lieutenant Calvan spent a whole day searching for traces of both him and his aircraft without finding anything.