LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Phillip Francis Grant HARBOTTLE
Service No: 408012
Born: Hobart TAS, 5 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 May 1940
Unit: No. 75 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-13), Marburg QLD, 12 July 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Ipswich General Cemetery, Queensland
CWGC Additional Information: on of Maj. Frank Harbottle, D.S.O., and Olive Grant Burn Harbottle, of Hobart, Tasmania, and stepson of Professor Alan Burn, of Hobart
Roll of Honour: Hobart TAS
Remembered: Panel 103, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 12 July 1942, Kittyhawk A29-13 flown by Flying Officer Harbottle set out in company with another aircraft detailed to carry out a mock air combat practice. The other pilot later said that the exercise commenced at a height of 14,000 feet, and during their course, several steep dives were executed by both aircraft. Immediately before the accident, Flying Officer Harbottle dived steeply from about 11,500 to 7,000 feet, with the other aircraft following. A29-13 then went into a further dive apparently with the intention of shaking off the pursuing aircraft. Unfortunately A29-13 did not pull out of the second dive and struck the ground at high speed. The accident occurred at Marburg, Queensland.
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, 163/35/195