LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Maxwell BROWNE
Service No: 423075
Born: Liverpool NSW, 26 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 189 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fulbeck
Died: Air Operations (No. 189 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME300), France, 5 January 1945, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Cognac (Grouin) Communal Cemetery, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Eric James Browne and Vera Gladys Browne, of Auburn, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Auburn NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 4 January 1945 Lancaster ME300 took off from Fulbeck detailed to bomb Royan, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft successfully attacked the target and shortly after turning for the homeward journey, the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Cognac in the Department of Charente, France. Six of the crew members were killed and one member baled out over allied-held territory and survived. ME300 collided with No. 467 Squadron Lancaster PB695 with all of its crew members successfully baling out over allied territory. Some of these crew members – Flying Officer Robert Bruce Eggins (424717), and Flight Sergeants Madden (426633), Richardson (428189) and Walker (436305) – were killed on air operations on 4 March 1945.
The crew members of ME300 were:
Sergeant Geoffrey Arthur Taylor Boyson (1626845) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Maxwell Browne (423075) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Jack Ian Coad (183812) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Thomas Rathband Dunne (1515917) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Charlton Dunville (1606092) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Harold Bert Hodder (1320197) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant R Powell (541089) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) Baled out
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/878