MEMORIAL SITE, TARAKAN HOUSE

The Memorial Site in the front of Tarakan House contains a plaque which reads:

This building and Memorial Site was dedicated and blessed
by Father Paul Goodland, RAAF Base Amberley
on 17 January 2004
 

548-549 SPITFIRE SQUADRON MEMORIAL

The members of the Pine Rivers Branch and members of the 212 and 220 Squadron Air Cadets participate in and assist with the organisation of the Annual Memorial Service for the 548-549 Spitfire Squadrons.

The service is held in the Merv Ewart Reserve, Petrie for two Spitfire pilots, who were based at Strathpine and collided over the area during an aerial exercise in 1944.

Squadron Leader Henry Wright, aged 26 and Flight Sergeant Alan Chandler, aged 22 were killed. The crash occurred at 8.50 a.m. on 19 April 1944.

Former members of 548 and 549 Spitfire Squadrons, who mainly now live in New South Wales, travel up to Queensland for the memorial service which is followed by a Memorial Luncheon in the Norths Leagues Club, Kallangur.

The memorial plaque was erected by the Rotary Club of Pine Rivers, the Pine Rivers Shire Council and the Pine Rivers District RSL Sub-Branch.
 

Click here to read the speech by the former Spitfire pilot Andre Dayet at this year’s memorial lunch.