LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Robert Maxwell McCRABB
Service No: 403225
Born: Tungamah VIC, 8 October 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 January 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 288 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 288 Squadron Oxford aircraft BG567), Norfolk, 27 April 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert William and Alberta Lavinia McCrabb, of Milson’s Point, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0100 hours on 27 April 1944, Oxford BG567 crashed when carrying out a non-operational solo searchlight cooperation exercise. The aircraft crashed at Norfolk about two miles south west of Methwold and Warrant Officer McCrabb was killed.
A Report into the Flying Accident stated: “the Pilot was carrying out a searchlight cooperation exercise between two marker beacons approximately 25 miles apart at 8,000 feet. After 50 minutes on course the Pilot gave the Douse signal on the DR Light in the region of the southerly marker beacon. This is understood to have been illuminated by two searchlights at the time. These searchlights are understood to have been doused immediately, but the Pilot is said to have fired off the Colours of the Period. Also the aircraft was heard to dive with the engines “screaming”. The aircraft was suspected to “break up” in the air subsequent to the dive. It was also suspected that the aircraft had collided with a solid packet of Window (radar reflective aluminium strips). The aircraft crashed vertically and the Pilot was killed.” A Squadron Leader of No. 288 Squadron stated: “it seems apparent that the wing tips and the plywood skin of the main planes of the aircraft broke off, followed by the tail plane. The cause is obscure. It was the Pilot’s first solo searchlight cooperation flight. He had however previously flown as Second Pilot, and had also had experience of enemy searchlights on operational flying on Baltimores. Loss of control through dazzle was considered unlikely as the Pilot was a careful and experienced type. Also dazzle is not great from two searchlights at 8000 foot height.” The Wing Commander RAF Station Wittering stated: “the cause is unknown. It does not appear that dazzle alone was the cause of the crash.”
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, 166/26/440