Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Father Charles Sydney Brown and Catherine Mary Brown, lived in Goulburn, New South Wales.

Next of kin in service:(Uncle)
Lieutenant Norman John Brown(e) - 13th Infantry Battalion
12/09/1914  enlisted into WWI
22/12/1914  embarked Port of Melbourne, VIC onboard HMAT A38 Ulysses
                   as a Private with 13th Infantry Battalion, A Company
22/03/1918  died of wounds received in action - Neuve Eglise, France
buried in:     Westhof Farm Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium
                   Plot II, Row D, Grave 4
His name is commemorated on Panel 68 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.

Prior to enlisting Norman lived in Yass, Canberra, ACT.

Norman enlisted into WWI RAAF on 21/06/1941

Appointed as Flying Officer with 3 Operational Training Unit

***Note:  Attestation Papers need to be ordered through National Archives of Australia***

24/05/1943  crashed during a landing in rough seas opposite Wonderrabah Knob, 
                   Port Stephens, NSW

buried in:     Sandgate War Cemetery, Sandgate, Newscastle, NSW
                   Plot E, Row D, Grave 13

Higgins Field

The airfield had one 132 degree runway and was known as Jackey Jackey to the Australians and Red Island to the Americans.  In June 1943 Lieutenant-General George Churchill Kenney (1889-1977) commander of the United States Fifth Air Force in Australia and also Commanding General of the Allied Air Force South West Pacific Area (United States Army Air Forces and Royal Australian Air Force personnel) directed that the name of the airfield be changed from Jackey Jackey airfield to Higgins Field to avoid confusion. 

On 14 June 1943, Jackey Jackey airfield was renamed Higgins Field to commemorate Flight Lieutenant Brian Hartley (Tubby) Higgins DFC RAAF.  He was awarded the DFC for numerous operations in the South West Pacific with No 11 Squadron RAAF.  Higgins was killed in the crash of Catalina flying boat A24‑39, north of Nelson Bay, New South Wales on 24 May 1943.  A plaque in St Patrick’s Church Wangaratta commemorates Flight Lieutenant Higgins DFC; Brian Higgins was born at Wangaratta. Other crew members on board when A24-39 crashed were: 2nd Pilot, Flying Officer Max Alexander Larkan (killed); 2nd Pilot, Pilot Officer Alan Fullerton Craddock (killed); Wireless/Air Gunner, Flying Officer Norman John Brown (killed); Fitter 2E, Corporal Thomas Henry Poole (killed); Fitter 2A, Leading Aircraftman Henry George Lovett (killed); Fitter 2E, Corporal James Joffre David (killed); Wireless/Air Gunner, Sergeant John Johnson (survived); and Armourer AC1, Kenneth Carlyle Stow (survived).

Catalina, A24-39 (USN 0826), of 3 Operational Training Unit Rathmines (3 OTU) crashed during a landing in rough seas opposite Wonderrabah Knob, Port Stephens, New South Wales on 24 May 1943.

The aircraft had been delivered to the RAAF in February 1942. There were two survivors.
Those killed were :-
Flight Lieutenant Brian Hartley Higgins (400620) - Pilot
Pilot Officer Max Alexander Larkan (409842) - 2nd Pilot
Sergeant Alan Fullerton Craddock (408799) - 2nd Pilot
Pilot Officer Norman John Brown (411992) - Gunner
Corporal Thomas Henry Poole (19812) - Fitter 2E
LAC Henry George Lovett (21419) - Fitter 2A
Corporal Jaffre David James (8164) - Fitter 2E

Norman's name is commemorated on Panel 112 at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT.

His name is commemorated on the Honour Board at Goulburn, New South Wales.

Submitted by Julianne T Ryan.  11/03/2017.  Lest we forget.

3rd OPerational Training Unit

Rank - Flying Officer

Son of Charles Sydney and Catherine Mary Brown, of Gmllhurn.