Wing Commander NORMAN GEORGE MULHOLLAND (DFC) Born in Sydney in 1908, Wing Commander Mulholland was educated at Brisbane Grammar. He trained at Point Cook and joined Imperial Airways in 1937, becoming a first officer. History: 34098 Wing Commander Norman George Mulholland, DFC Date of birth 1908-06-18 Other units 1933-08-15 Short Service Commission in General Duties Branch, RAF. Date promoted 1933-08-15 Pilot officer. Other units 1933-10-04 No 101 Squadron. Date promoted 1935-04-15 Flying officer. Other units 1935-11-25 No 48 Squadron. Other units 1937-06-15 Transferred to Reserve (Class A). Other units 1939-09-25 Mobilised and sent to RAF Station Benson. Date promoted 1939-09-28 Acting squadron leader. Other units 1939-09-29 No 148 Squadron. Other units 1940-04-04 No 15 Operational Training Unit. Date promoted 1940-06-01 Temporary squadron leader. Other units 1940-06-07 No 20 Operational Training Unit. Other units 1940-08-09 No 115 Squadron. Other units 1941-01-24 Commanding Officer No 3 Group Training Flight, RAF Station Stradishall. Date promoted 1941-02-24 Acting wing commander. Other units 1941-06-24 RAF Station Moreton-in-Marsh. Date promoted 1941-07-21 Squadron leader (war substantive). Other units 1941-09-01 Commanding Officer No 458 Squadron. Other 1942-02-15 Listed as missing. Date of death 1942-02-16 Quote: SHOT DOWN ON WAY TO Middle East "Wing Commander Mulholland" LONDON, Tuesday, AAP Wing Commander N. G. Mulholland, DFC, RAF, of Sydney, who was posted missing last month, is reported lo have been shot down over the Mediterranean while leading his squadron to the Middle East. He was seen going down, but colleagues thought he alighted reasonably well. He may be a prisoner of war. Wing Commander Mulholland was awarded the DFC in January, 1941, for outstanding bravery in several runs in the face of heavy AA fire over Kiel Harbour. Between August, 1940, and January 1941 he was involved in 24 major operations of 141 hours' flying time. After being seriously injured in a plane crash he was successfully treated by a plastic surgeon. He spent his convalescence in Canada, and on his return to England in September was appointed to command the second all-Australian bomber squadron then being formed.' He was well known on all British airlines to the Continent. He was also on the Alexandria and Karachi routes. KING TALKS TO AUSTRALIAN Bomber Station LONDON Squadron-Leader N. G. Mulholland, an Australian attached to the R.A.F., walked into the intelligence room of his unit at midnight to make the customary report concerning the raid he had just carried out on Cologne. To his surprise he found the King standing beside Air-Marshal Sir Richard Pierse, chief of the Bomber Command. The King had spent most of the night at the station, having, unknown to the crews, watched their heavily laden machines take off for Germany. It was the King who carried out the usual rigid questioning. "Were you able to drop bombs on your target?" he asked. "Yes, sir," was the reply. "The weather was not good; we'd nine-tenths cloud, but I managed to pick up a bend of the river, which gave me the direction, and I made two runs over the target before unloading our bombs on the railway marshalling yards." The King asked: "Was there much noise, much opposition?" Squadron - Leader Mulholland answered: "Well, sir, 'Jerry" was still playing 'foxy.'. There were no searchlights and no gun fire until I dropped my bombs. Then 14 or 15 lights came on, making a cone of light in the sky. Then they chucked up everything they had to the apex of the cone." View attachment 3817 In Memory of Wing Commander NORMAN GEORGE MULHOLLAND D F C 34098, 458 (R.A.A.F.) Sqdn., Royal Air Force who died age 34 on 16 February 1942 Son of Fredrick Hannam Mulholland, and of Clarice Estelle Mulholland, of Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia. Remembered with honour CATANIA WAR CEMETERY, SICILY
