Corporal John Bernard Mackey, 2/3rd Pioneer Battalion,
Victoria Cross action on Tarakan. It was a posthumous award.
John Mackey was born at Leichhardt, Sydney, and until his
enlistment worked in his father's bakery. He embarked with the 2/3rd Pioneer
Battalion in November 1941, serving in Syria
and in the later operations at El Alamein . He also took
part in the New Guinea
campaign. The landing on Tarakan Island Borneo , was the battalion's final campaign.
Mackey had already been recognised as an outstanding and
brave junior leader. On 12 May 1945
he displayed those qualities again on Tarakan Island ,
Netherlands East
Indies . Together with his lance corporal, Mackey approached a
well-defended position along a steep and narrow spur. Reaching a Japanese light
machine-gun post, the two men killed four enemy soldiers, but Mackey's
companion was wounded. Mackey killed the remaining Japanese, then dealt with a
heavy machine-gun crew in an adjacent bunker. Taking up an Owen gun, he moved
towards another heavy machine-gun nest, and managed to silence it before he was
mortally wounded. Mackey was eventually laid to rest in Labuan
War Cemetery
Mackey was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, and
service medals for the Second World War.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for visiting my blog. Please do not feel you have to comment. I enjoyed writing, listening to God and sharing his toughts. I hope you enjoyed reading, and may God who is able to make all grace, every favour and earthly blessing come to you in abundance, do far above all you can ask or think, according to the power that works within you. Be blessed.