Friday 14 September 2018

D J Heenan 6762

The following entry is from They Answered The Call.  Click here for the contents page.

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]

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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