LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant David Logan MUNRO
Service No: 424786
Born: Marrickville NSW, 13 April 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 14 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 14 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft HN483), Fraserburgh, 23 March 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Banff Cemetery, Banffshire, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alexander Logan Munro and Doris Jessie Munro, of Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Marrickville NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
On 23 March 1944, Flying Officer Crouch was giving dual instruction to Flight Sergeant Ellis with Flight Sergeant Munro as the second student in Oxford HN483. At 1600 hours Oxford HN439 was approaching to land at Fraserburgh airfield runway 300 degrees. At approximately 1600 hours both aircraft were seen making an approach to land on the same runway. The aircraft collided and Oxford HN483 crashed and all on board were killed, while HN439 landed safely. The port tail plane of HN483 struck the lower surface of the starboard main plane of HN439. The port tail plane of HN483 was broken off and found 150 yards from the main wreckage. A Court of Inquiry found that the cause of the accident was due to “the aircraft approached in such a manner that they were blind to each other. The failure of both crews of both aircraft to see each other before the final turn on to the runway caused the accident.”
The crew members of HN483 were:
Flying Officer Dennis William Crouch (157111) (RAFVR) (Instructor Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Ethelbert Edward Ellis (424746) (First Pilot under instruction)
Flight Sergeant David Logan Munro (424786) (Second Pilot under instruction)
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, 166/28/264
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line