| Place | Asia: Borneo, Tarakan |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | 134468 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white |
| Physical description | Black & white |
| Maker |
Thain, Ernest Robertson |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
PORTRAIT OF CORPORAL (CPL) JOHN BERNARD MACKEY VC. IN THE AUSTRALIAN ATTACK ON A FEATURE KNOWN AS ...
Description
PORTRAIT OF CORPORAL (CPL) JOHN BERNARD MACKEY VC. IN THE AUSTRALIAN ATTACK ON A FEATURE KNOWN AS HELEN, EAST OF TARAKAN, NORTH BORNEO, A SECTION OF THE 2/3RD AUSTRALIAN PIONEER BATTALION WAS LED BY CPL MACKEY ON 1945-05-12. MOVING ALONG A NARROW SPUR THE SECTION CAME UNDER FIRE FROM THREE WELL-SITED JAPANESE POSITIONS. CPL MACKEY WENT STRAIGHT AHEAD, CHARGED THE FIRST POSITION, WRESTLING WITH AND BAYONETING ONE OF THE ENEMY, AND THEN RUSHED A HEAVY MACHINE GUN POST KILLING ITS CREW WITH GRENADES. COMPLETELY DISREGARDING HIS OWN LIFE, HE AGAIN ATTACKED A THIRD POSITION FARTHER ALONG THE SPUR AND IN DOING SO WAS KILLED.