LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Bruce Astor SCHAEFER
Service No: 403439
Born: Armidale NSW, 27 March 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 164 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 164 Squadron Spitfire aircraft V4421), Scotland, 18 August 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Lerwick New Cemetery, Shetland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Grave Schaefer, of Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Armidale NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Armidale Dumaresq Council War Memorial Library, Armidale NSW
On 18 August 1942 Spitfire V4421 flown by Pilot Officer Schaefer crashed during a training flight and he was killed. A subsequent Court of Inquiry into the accident stated: “the aircraft was totally submerged and there was no evidence of any attempt to use the parachute. The cause of the accident was an error of judgement on the part of the pilot.” The Station Commander of RAF Sumburg stated “I concur.” The Air Vice Marshal Commanding No 14 Group Stated: “this fatal accident occurred during the normal course of training fighter pilots. The Pilot was on an Army Co-operation exercise and when making a low concealed approach misjudged his height and struck the sea due to an error of judgement. I concur in the findings.”
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, 163/160/261
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002