Francis Richard DRAKE-BROCKMAN

Francis Richard DRAKE-BROCKMAN Update Details

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DRAKE-BROCKMAN, Francis Richard

Service Number:	427451
Enlisted:	14 July 1942
Last Rank:	Sergeant
Last Unit:	No. 2 Squadron (RAAF)
Born:	Perth, Western Australia, 4 October 1923
Home Town:	Crawley, Western Australia
Schooling:	Christchurch Grammar 1935-1939 Perth Technical College 1941-1942
Occupation:	Student
Died:	Flying Battle, Arafura Sea, Arafura Sea, Netherlands East Indies, 16 October 1943, aged 20 years
Cemetery:	No known grave - "Known Unto God"
Memorials:	Ambon Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, No 2 Squadron RAAF Roll of Honour

World War 2 Service

14 Jul 1942:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 427451, No. 4 Initial Training School Victor Harbor
14 Jul 1942:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 427451
8 Oct 1943:	Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 427451, No. 2 Squadron (RAAF), Australia's Northern Periphery

Help us honour Francis Richard Drake-Brockman's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Mari Walker

Son of Howden and Alice Drake-Brockman; husband of Noel Dora Drake-Brockman, of Crawley, Western Australia.

Sergeant Francis Drake-Brockman was a member of Hudson aircraft A.16-178 of No. 2 Squadron which took off on an operational flight on 16 October 1943 and failed to return to its base.
The crew were
F/O John Pomeroy OLDRIDGE, Captain
F/Sgt John Frances George CULLEN
F/Sgt Donald Neal RUMBLE
Sgt Francis Richard DRAKE-BROCKMAN, Navigator
Sgt David William PETCH, Air Gunner
The aircraft took off unaccompanied from Millingimbi Island, Northern Territory, to carry out a shipping reconnaissance over the Arafura Sea, but no communications were received from the aircraft after take off. When it failed to return to base in the specified time, two aircraft were detailed to search the tracks of the missing aircraft but no trace was found of the aircraft or its crew.
Thorough searches were undertaken in an extended area but all failed to find any sign of the aircraft or its crew.

Biography contributed

Francis Richard DRAKE-BROCKMAN was born in Perth, Western Australia on 4th October, 1923

His parents were Howden DRAKE-BROCKMAN & Alice GRIFFITH who married in Perth, WA on 25th October, 1919

Virtual
War Memorial
Australia