Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

LAC Thorburn was on a solo flight in RAAF Tiger Moth aircraft A17-144 of Number 11 Elementary Flying Training School which crashed near Benalla, Victoria

Son of William Percival and Eileen Marjorie Thorburn of Walwa, Victoria

Murray was born on the 11th of February, 1924, in Albury, New South Wales, to William Percival and Eileen Majorie (née Eadon) Thornburn. He had one older sister, Marjorie, who was born two years before him. After completing school, he gained employment as a clerk with the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney.

On the 27th of January, 1943, he enlisted in the RAAF in Adelaide, South Australia, and was allocated the Service Number 430588. Murray had been a member of an AMF (Australian Military Forces) Signals Unit, so the drill and basic training he received as an RAAF recruit would have been no surprise to him. His next posting was to No. 11 Elementary Flying Training School based in Benalla, Victoria. 

There were twelve of these schools situated in various states across the country. Their purpose was to provide introductory flight instruction to new pilots. The minimum total of flying hours for student pilots was 65. This was divided into three sections; 31 hours flying under dual, or instructor, control, 29 hours flying solo and five hours of night flying (two dual and three solo). When the instructors considered that the trainee pilot had sufficient skills, they would allow the trainee to fly solo, generally just a circuit of the aerodrome. The photograph above shows trainee pilots and instructors walking out to their aircraft. It was taken one week prior to Murray’s accident, so it’s possible that Murray is somewhere in the group.                                                                                                                               At 0910 hours, on the 20th of October, Murray was strapped into Tiger Moth A17-144. It was a lovely morning for a solo flight. He was keen to add to his already 15 hours of solo time. Up in the air, alone in his aircraft, he was no doubt feeling free and easy. The October skies around Benalla would have provided perfect flying conditions. Unfortunately, he was flying too low, trying to “shoot up” the farmhouse where his girlfriend lived, when the aircraft hit a small rise causing it to dive into the ground and burst into flames.

Murray’s funeral took place at Benalla War Cemetery the day after the accident. Canon Crigan of the Church Of England officiated.

Murray is remembered at the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, the Commercial Banking Company of Sydney WW2 Honour Roll and the Walwa WW2 Honour Roll.