LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer David Buglass Leggatt JOHNSTONE
Service No: 411930
Born: Mascot NSW, 16 June 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941
Unit: No. 15 Advanced Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 15 Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft BG236), Wiltshire, 20 July 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Bath (Haycombe) Cemetery, Somerset
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leonard William Bruce Johnstone and Wilhelmina Small Johnstone, husband of Mabel Johnstone, of Richmond New South Wales, Australia. A.I.C.A.
Roll of Honour: Coolamon NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0915 hours on the 20 July 1943, Oxford BG236 took off on a non-operational day training flight in which the instructor was authorised to give dual instruction in instrument flying to his student. At about 0945 hours BG236 collided with Oxford HN721 and both aircraft force landed to the north of Ramsbury. Both the crew members in BG236 were killed, and one was killed in Oxford HN721.
The crew members of BG236 were:
Flying Officer David Buglass Leggatt Johnstone (411930) (Pilot Instructor)
Sergeant Edward Francis Tanner (R/145424) (RCAF) (Pilot under instruction)
The crew member killed on HN721 was:
Sergeant Leonard Irvine Elliott (R/154172) (RCAF) (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, 166/21/48