Warrant Officer, 161 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Service Number: 976750) Frederick 'Fred' Mahoney was born in Cardiff on 10 Apr 1917, the youngest of nine children born to Bartholomew Mahoney, a dock labourer, originally from Ballincollig, County Cork, Ireland, and Jane Mahoney née McGivern, also originally from County Cork, Ireland. The Mahoney family lived at 85 Bedford Street, Roath. Fred attended St Peter's School before moving on to St Illtyd College. In 1939, Frederick was working as a club barman. He joined the RAF reservists between 1939 and 1941 and qualified as an Air Gunner in Aug 1941 and an Instructor in Nov 1943. He was stationed in various airfields, including the Middle East. Fred married Catherine (Kitty) Theresa McConnell at St Peter's RC Church in Cardiff in January 1944. He served as a Warrant Officer with 161 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was killed on 5 Mar 1945, aged 27, when flying as an air gunner, one of seven crew in a Stirling Bomber from Tempsford, Bedfordshire. Stirling IV LK312 took off at 23.34 on 4 Mar 1945 from Tempsford on SOE Special Operation Tablejam 209 and headed for Denmark on a secret mission, possibly dropping arms to the resistance. It was shot down by a Kriegsmarine Flak ship and crashed into the Limfjord off Livo Island. Frederick's body was found washed ashore on 21 May 1945. My aunt was unaware of the operational duties Fred was involved in during his last months of active service with the RAF. When he died, she was denied any information regarding his final mission other than that he was on a mission dropping leaflets. She died not finding out that he flew SOE operations dropping arms to the resistance. From the information passed down from my mum, the family would listen to the radio, and the broadcaster would say how many planes went out on a mission and how many returned. That day, no planes were reported as going out on any missions, so it was a mystery what happened that day. My sister has Frederick's flying logbook. She ...