Donald Glen BROAD

BROAD, Donald Glen

Service Number: 437112
Enlisted: Not yet discovered
Last Rank: Flying Officer
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Robertstown, South Australia, 10 April 1924
Home Town: Robertstown, Goyder, South Australia
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Accidental (Flying Accident), Morundah near Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia, Morundah, New South Wales, Australia, 2 February 1944, aged 19 years
Cemetery: Narrandera War Cemetery, New South Wales
Row D Grave 15, Narrandera War Cemetery, Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia
Memorials: Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Robertstown Peace Hall Roll of Honor WW2, Korea & Vietnam
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Flying Officer, 437112
2 Feb 1944: Discharged
Date unknown: Involvement
Date unknown: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 437112

Help us honour Donald Glen Broad's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by David Barlow

Beaufort aircraft A9-505 and A9-507 from Number 1 Squadron collided in mid-air and crashed at Morundah near Narrandera in NSW killing all on board both aircraft:

Beaufort A9-507 - Flight Sergeant Allen 415957 / Flying Officer Barber 415959 / Flying Officer Broad 437112 / Flight Sergeant McCausland 419053 / LAC Shelton 88452 (Photographer)

Beaufort A9-505 - Flight Sergeant Johnston 429967 / Flight Sergeant Newnham 423876 / Flight Sergeant O'Malley 426903 / Flight Sergeant Wood 415097 / LAC Nugent 130211 (Instrument Repairer - commemorated on Panel 7 of the Sydney Memorial)

 

The aircraft were on a cross country formation flying exercise returning from Mildura (Victoria) back to their base at Menangle airfield (near Camden, NSW).  

From the Memoirs of Alan Hick, a former 1SQN Observer Air Gunner and Wireless / Telegraph Operator: “1SQN moved from East Sale (Victoria) to Menangle Airfield on 29 December 1943 for about six weeks of training flights in airmanship, formation training, night flights, formation flying and fighter co-operation with a fighter squadron based at Bankstown.

The ‘finale’ was a squadron formation exercise to Mildura consisting of 4 flights each with 3 aircraft. On the return leg each aircraft of each flight had to take their turn in leading the flight. It was during a changeover that two planes touched and ended with both planes crashing and burning. Killing all air crew members plus our squadron photographer.”

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