Denis Joseph HEENAN
Service
number: 6762. Age:
19 years 5 months. Enlisted: 8 Jan 1940.
Occupation: Stockman. Next of kin: (father) Mr Denis Heenan.
Address
on enlistment: Bribie Island.
11
Dec 1943. At an Australian Mosquito fighter bomber No. 464 Squadron RAAF
at RAF Station Methwold, a maintenance crew at work on engine inspection.
On left, Corporal Denis J Heenan.[1]
On left, Corporal Denis J Heenan.[1]
Service
Summary:
8 Jan 1940: Royal Australian Air Force, 464
Squadron 10 AAC Flt.
13 Jun 1941: Embarked from Sydney to U.K.
31 Aug 1941: Served in the U.K.
25 Apr 1944: At Gravesend aerodrome was
struck by tail wheel of Mosquito aircraft and suffered multiple fracture of
both lower legs.
“The squadron's most intensive period of
operations was the period surrounding the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, when
it was primarily employed to attack German transport infrastructure such as
trains, road and rail junctions, bridges, motor convoys and concentration
areas. 464 Squadron also participated in a special raid on Amiens prison on 18
February 1944, mounted to release members of the French Resistance held
prisoner there.”[2]
28 Jul 1945: Returned to Australia
disembarked at Sydney.
29 Oct 1946: Discharged.
Life
Summary:
Denis Joseph Heenan (1920-2001) was born 11 Aug 1920 to Denis Heenan
(1880-1947) and Catherine Maria Lewis (1880-1933). The Heenan family moved to
Bribie Island in the 1930s where they participated in many of the community
activities on Bribie Island including week-end bowls with members of the
Shields, Koppe, Campbell, Moyle, Freeman, Robinson, Braund, Lacey, Hall,
Raistrick and Bell families.[3]
Catherine Heenan died 8 Apr 1933 at her
home on Bribie Island and as a tribute to her memory the Koopa had her flag at half-mast on Sunday 16 Apr 1933.[4]
Denis Heenan (snr) [163] had served in the
First World War with the Australian Light Horse. When Denis Heenan (jnr) joined
the Royal Australian Air Force so did his brother Philip Francis Heenan [6729].
A photo of the father and two sons was published in The Courier Mail in January
1940.[5]
Denis
Heenan on right. [6]
After his service, Denis Heenan (jnr)
returned to Bribie Island and took up accountancy. By 1958 he had moved to
Brisbane and later married. He then moved to the Australian Capital Territory
and then to Victoria.
Denis Heenan died
20 Mar 2001, aged 80, and is remembered with a memorial
plaque at Kyneton Lawn Cemetery, Kyneton, Victoria.[7]
[1] Courtesy of the Australian War Memorial UK0861 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C257114
[2] Australian War Memorial No. 464 Squadron https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/U59449
[3] Source: The Brisbane Courier Tue 26 Jul 1932 p.
5 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article21977928
[4] Mrs. Catherine Heenan. The Brisbane Courier, Thu 20 Apr 1933, p. 13 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article22136981
[5] Source: The Courier Mail Mon 8 Jan 1940 p. 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40868103
[6] Source: The Courier Mail Mon 8 Jan 1940 p. 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article40868103
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