Everard Charles GRAEBNER

GRAEBNER, Everard Charles

Service Numbers: WX25434, 436496
Enlisted: 16 January 1942
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: Operational Training Units (RAF)
Born: Perth, Western Australia, 18 September 1922
Home Town: Perth, Western Australia
Schooling: Concordia College Adelaide; Perth Boys School; Perth Modern School, Subiaco, 1936-38
Occupation: Bank Clerk
Died: Aircraft Training Accidental, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, 8 April 1945, aged 22 years
Cemetery: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Plot H, Row 1, Grave 212C Roll of Honour - Perth
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Highgate Concordia College WW2 Honour Board, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Subiaco Perth Modern School WW2 Honour Board
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World War 2 Service

16 Jan 1942: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Gunner, 3 Field Regiment AMF
18 Jul 1942: Enlisted Australian Military Forces (WW2) , Private, WX25434, 3 Field Regiment AMF
16 Jan 1943: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 436496
16 Jan 1943: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 436496, Enlisted at Perth, WA
9 Dec 1943: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant
29 Jan 1944: Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, 436496, Embarked at Melbourne for overseas
9 Jun 1944: Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, Operational Training Units (RAF)

Help us honour Everard Charles Graebner's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by Sharyn Roberts

Son of Rev. Rudolph Graebner and Doris Graebner of Perth, WA; husband of Dorothy Jean Graebner of Mt Lawley, WA. Father of Jennifer Jill Graebner

Plane was Wellington BK 133 in Oxfordshire, England

Medals: Defence Medal, War Medal

School subjects passed - History, Geography, Physics, Chemistry, Maths A, Maths B, English French, German

Sports played - Tennis, Table Tennis, Football, Baseball, Cricket

Biography contributed by Robert Johnson

8th April 1945; Vickers Wellington Mk.III BK133 ("ED-S"), of 21 Operational Training Unit, took off from RAF Moreton in Marsh at 00:25 hours, for night solo circuits and landings and single engine approaches and overshoots. The aircraft crashed at 00:55 hours near Great Rollright, about 2.5 miles (4 km) north of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

The aircraft landed after one normal circuit and took off again at 00:48 hours. At 00:51 hours the pilot called “practice single overshoot”, and about one minute later the aircraft was plotted flying normally at 500-1000 feet, when the engines cut out and almost immediately the aircraft crashed.

It was the opinion of the Investigating Officer into the accident that during single engine flying, the pilot lost height and noticed he was getting close to higher ground, and jettisoned petrol to gain height. Having done so he sent a normal overshoot signal. The engines then failed through fuel shortage because the pilot had jettisoned petrol and left the jettison valve open. The accident was considered an error of judgement on the part of the pilot.

The crew, all from the Royal Australian Air Force are buried in Oxford Botley cemetery.

Source: https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/194942

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