LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Maxwell Albert TAIT
Service No: 413802
Born: Randwick NSW, 27 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Evans Head NSW
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School Battle aircraft V1232), Evans Head, 14 February 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Evans Head War Cemetery, NSW
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy Oliver and Gladys Louisa Tait, of Pennant Hills
Roll of Honour: Pennant Hills NSW
Remembered: Panel 117, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: St Marks Honour Boards, Pennant Hills NSW
On 14 February 1942, Battle V1232 dived into the ground and crashed during a target towing exercise, and the crew of two was killed. The aircraft was engaged in towing a drogue in ground to air deflection shooting by the School of Ground Defence personnel. The Pilot was instructed to fly at a height of not less than 500 feet. While so engaged the aircraft was seen to dive suddenly and crash. The accident was attributable to the drogue towing cable riding over the starboard side of the tail plane, fouling the elevator trimming tab, resulting in the depression of the elevators causing the aircraft to dive. The pilot did not have sufficient to recover. The blame for the accident was attributed to the pilot badly executing a turn with an angle of bank in excess of 20 degrees.
The crew members of V1232 were:
Leading Aircraftman Neil James Herbert Campbell (414897) (Aircraft Handler, Drogue Operator)
Pilot Officer Maxwell Albert Tait (413802) (Pilot)
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, 166/39/27; A9845, 237
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line