LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Forbes PORTER

Service No: 425353
Born: Warwick QLD, 5 January 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1942
Unit: No. 358 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 358 Squadron Liberator aircraft EV846), Kolar, India, 23 November 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Malcolm and Georgiena Elizabeth Porter, of Warwick. Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 23 November 1944, Liberator EV846 crashed at No 6 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) at Kolar and all on board were killed.

The crew members of EV846 were:

Sergeant Charles Victor Garside (338237) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Maurice Trevor Jones (2203147) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer John McHardy (55610) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Forbes Porter (425353) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant John William White (430197) (Second Pilot)

Brigadier General J P McConnell, USAAF, Senior Air Staff Officer, Air Command SE Asia, later reported: “Both these accidents involve Liberators KG883* on 30 November 1944 and EV846 on 23 November 1944. Both the Pilots involved had little flying experience between arriving at this Command and commencing their courses at No 6 HCU. The accident to KG883 indicates a lack of discipline and supervision at the HCU. The accident to EV846 indicates insufficient care in instruction at the HCU. In spite of this no action was taken by either Headquarters No. 225 Group, or Headquarters Base Air Forces SE Asia, to follow up these accidents with suitable action to prevent such accidents occurring again in the future. I therefore request you both inquire into the discipline at No 6 HCU Kolar and take action to improve the standard of instruction and tighten up the general discipline at Units. Also I recommend that you will arrange adequate flying practice to be carried on Oxfords before starting a Liberator course.”

* KG883 involved Warrant Officer Alan James Stubbs (428147) (Discharged: 14 December 1945)

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, 166/33/257; A705, 32/4/235

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