LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Bruce ASTLEY
Service No: 403422
Born: Dubbo NSW, 21 July 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1941
Unit: No. 15 Elementary Flying Training School RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 15 Elementary Flying Training School Gipsy Major aircraft L5928), Cumberland, 28 January 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Carlisle (Dalston Road) Cemetery, Cumberland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Laurence and Ethel Maude Astley, of Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Dubbo NSW
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Wesley Uniting Church Stained Glass Windows, Dubbo NSW
Remembered: Wesley Uniting Church World War 2 Honour Roll, Dubbo NSW
On 28 January 1942, Gipsy Major L5928 from RAF Station Kingstown crashed and Sergeant Astley was killed and Leading Aircraftman Waite injured. A report into the Flying accident stated: “the aircraft stalled during an instructional demonstration at too low an altitude. It went into a spin through failure to use the controls properly, which was also the cause of the spin being continued unduly. The aircraft crashed into a high tree during recovery in the resultant dive.”
The crew members of L5928 were:
Sergeant Bruce Astley (403422) (Instructor Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman James McKenzie Martin Waite (1506162) (RAFVR) (Student Pilot) Injured
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, 163/88/92
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line