LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Graham Bruce COAD
Service No: 416655
Born: Wokurna SA, 24 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 132 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 132 Operational Training Unit Beaufighter aircraft 2283), England, 28 May 1943, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Haddington (St Martin’s) New Burial Ground, East Lothian, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Robert and Elizabeth Coad; husband of June Mary Coad, of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Beaufighter 2283 flown by Flight Sergeant Coad crashed during a solo non-operational training flight, at 0957 hours on 28 May 1943 and he was killed. The aircraft stalled on take off possibly due to engine failure.
A Court of Inquiry into the accident reported: “The Pilot bounced on landing and opened up to go round again. When airborne the starboard engine was noticed to give off white smoke, the starboard wing went down, the aircraft crashed and was completely burnt out. An examination of the starboard engine was made and a white deposit was found in the inlet plugs suggesting that the flame traps had burnt. The two end coils of the inner spring and one end coil of the outer spring were also broken. The valve was seized in the guide in the open position.”
The Group Captain commanding No 132 OTU stated “I personally witnessed the latter phase of the accident. The Pilot was faced with one of the most difficult decisions of forced landings and could have done nothing except throttle his good engine immediately. Both engines were idling just before the aircraft spun but by that time the aircraft had already stalled.”
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 A705, 166/8/126