LEST WE FORGET

Warrant Officer Donald Vivian TUNBRIDGE

Service No: 416644
Born: Woodville SA, 8 December 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1941
Unit: No. 8 Squadron
Died: Air Operations (No. 8 Squadron Beaufort A9-567), Tadji, New Guinea, 24 November 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy Frank and Winifred May Tunbridge, of Woodville. South Australia
Roll of Honour: Woodville SA
Remembered: Panel 6, Lae Memorial, PNG
Remembered: Panel 99, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide

Beaufort A9-567 was lost in the vicinity of Tadji while conducting an anti-submarine sweep in the Wewak area. The aircraft last made contact at 0337 hours on 24 November 1944 and its wreckage was observed near Ali Island at 0630 hours at position 03.04S 142.31E. No trace of the crew was found. The crew members of A9-567 were:

Pilot Officer John David Richards (426955) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Donald Vivian Tunbridge (416644) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Campbell Watson (421950) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Mervyn Walter Willis (421952) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)

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 A845, 261

Bibliography:

Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002
Graham, B. (Burton) and Frank Smyth, A Nation Grew Wings: The Story of the RAAF Beaufort Squadrons in New Guinea, Winterset House Publishers Melbourne VIC, 1946
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990

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