LEST WE FORGET
Lieutenant Arthur O’Connor BROOK
Service No: 525
Born: Dedarang VIC, 1893
Enlisted in the Army: 11 August 1916
Unit: No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Died: Air Operations, France, 27 June 1918, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Vignacourt British Cemetery, Vignacourt, Picardie, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of A. E. and Mary Brook, of Police Station, Royal Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Born Dederang, Victoria
Place of Association: Tungamah VIC
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On that day, June 27th, the whole Hamel position was photographed on an extensive series of overlapping negatives. Nine more hostile batteries were engaged in the evening, and either damaged or put out of action; but this work cost the squadron further loss, for Lieutenants P. H. Kerr (1) and A. O’C. Brook while returning from that duty at about 9 p.m., were shot down by a Pfalz scout. The observer was killed in the air and the pilot wounded; the machine (2) was wrecked in landing at Pont Noyelles.
(1) Lieutenant Percival Harrington Kerr 146; Born Melbourne VIC, 3 January 1889
(2) RE8 aircraft A3661
Extract from Cutlack, F.M. (Frederic Morley) The Australian Flying Corps in the Western and Eastern Theatres of War 1914-8, Angus and Robertson Ltd Sydney, 1941 – Page 272
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, BROOK A O
National Archives UK RAF Casualty Book AIR 1/969 page 402, 33830
Bibliography:
Muller, P. (Peter) and Hutchinson, J. (John) Secrets Revealed: a brief history of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide SA 5000, 1991
Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935