LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Donald McPherson FORBES
Service No: 406753
Born: Beverley WA, 7 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 14 Squadron, RAAF Station Pearce WA
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 14 Squadron Beaufort aircraft A9-314) near Northampton WA, 24 October 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Geraldton War Cemetery WA
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Donald Henry and Ellen Ethel May Forbes, husband of Eileen Mavis Forbes, of Beverley.
Roll of Honour: Beverley WA
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Beaufort Aircraft A9-314 Captained by Flying Officer James Randall second Pilot Flight Sergeant Clarke, Observer Flight Sergeant Callaghan, Wireless Air Gunners Flight Sergeant James Brock and Pilot Officer Donald McPherson Forbes, Fitter Leading Aircraftman Noel Ryder Raston, Rigger Leading Aircraftman Harold William Smith, Electrician Leading Aircraftman John Jeffery Andre, departed BROOME for CARNARVON at 1530 hours. The aircraft crashed four miles south east of NORTHAMPTON at 2227 hours killing six members of the crew. The two survivors were second Pilot Flight Sergeant Clarke and Observer Flight Sergeant Callaghan, who successfully bailed out and landed by parachute suffering shock and abrasions.
No. 14 Squadron Operations Record Book A50 Entry dated 24 October 1943
Beaufort aircraft A9-314 crashed few miles east of NORTHAMPTON having overshot CARNARVON. Of the eight occupants, six were killed, including F/O. RANDALL (Pilot) and P/O FORBES. Two baled out.
No. 4 Service Flying Training School Operations Record Book A50 Entry dated 24 October 1943
The aircraft was returning south and was expected to land and refuel at Carnarvon, however due cloud decided to carry on to Geraldton unfortunately they didn’t have enough fuel and attempted a night forced landing.
Extract from Brenkley, D.J. (Doug J.) RAAF Historical Record of No. 4 Service Flying Training School Geraldton WA, D.J. Brenkley, 2007 – page 322
The crew members of A9-314 were:
Leading Aircraftman John Jeffery Andre (81619) (Electrician)
Flight Sergeant James Brock (409983) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Joseph Callaghan (413342) (Observer) Baled Out, discharged from the RAAF: 23 August 1945
Flight Sergeant Kenneth John Clarke (415618) (Second Pilot) Baled Out, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 January 1946
Pilot Officer Donald McPherson Forbes (406753) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer James Maxwell Randall (412183) (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Noel Ryder Raston (80118) (Fitter)
Leading Aircraftman Harold William Smith (80136) (Rigger)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-line Record A9845, 252
Bibliography:
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990