LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Archibald CORBETT
Service No: 427851
Born: Ballarat VIC, 27 July 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 October 1942 (at Perth WA)
Unit: No. 2 Radio School RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (Percival Proctor aircraft DX191), UK, 10 September 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, UK
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert James Corbett and Nellie Corbett, of West Footscray, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Footscray VIC
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 10th September 1944, Proctor DX191 took off from No 2 Radio School, Yatesbury at 0850 hours with a Wireless/Telephone (W/T) Trainee on a W/T exercise of one and a half hours duration. The aircraft failed to return from the exercise and Flight Sergeant Corbett was killed and Sergeant Jubb died from his injuries on the 11th September 1944. A Court of Inquiry into the accident stated that: “Contact with the aircraft was made from a W/T Ground station at 0900 hours and the last message received from the aircraft was at 0919 hours. At 0920 hours the aircraft was seen descending near Stretton-on-Fosse seemingly with engine trouble. At a height of approximately 2,000 feet, the aircraft circled a field of about 1000 yards long and 150 yards wide. The aircraft was low making the final turn into the field and it struck a tree while steeply banked to the left. The aircraft was totally destroyed. It was the opinion of the Court that the Pilot was attempting to carry out a forced landing after engine trouble. He had chosen a good field but misjudged his approach being too close to the field on his final turn in with the result that the aircraft hit a tree.”
The crew members of DX191 were:
Flight Sergeant Robert Archibald Corbett (427851) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Brown Jubb (1596573) (RAFVR) (Wireless Telephone Trainee)
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 A9301, 427851