LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Max Leslie HUBBARD MID
Service No: 415329
Born: Northcote VIC, 19 April 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1941 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 96 Squadron (RAF), RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 96 Squadron Halifax aircraft MZ464), Yorkshire, 25 February 1945, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frank and Ada Louisa Hubbard, of Victoria Park, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
Halifax MZ464, during a practice flight of circuits and landings on 25 February 1945, crashed on a hill near Brantingham Brough, about 8 miles west of Kingston upon Hull, a few minutes after take off from RAF Station Leconfield. All on board were killed.
After making two normal landings the aircraft took off for a third time at approx 1520 hours. The weather at the aerodrome was suitable for circuits and landings, but in the locality of the crash very low cloud down to tree top level and drizzle was possible. After circling in cloud for several minutes above the hilly location, the aircraft seemed to come from a north westerly direction and strike some tall trees while attempting a steep climbing port turn to avoid them.
The opinion of the Court of Inquiry was that the accident was caused presumably by the fact that the pilot had entered cloud and was unaware of the presence of high ground over which he was finally flying while endeavouring to break cloud, and did not see the trees in sufficient time to avoid hitting them. The weather at the time was a contributory factor.
Those on board MZ464 were:
Flying Officer Edward Maxwell England DFC (412418) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Max Leslie Hubbard MID (415329) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Ronald Latham (1476598) (RAFVR) (Supernumerary)
Pilot Officer James Walker Marshall (186411) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant George Strong (1611982) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/18/646