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THE KOREAN CONFLICT - 1950 to 1953
Plaque No 121:
Richard Roslyn SINCLAIR
(Hale School 1943-1946)
He was born in 1929 and attended Hale School from 1943 to 1946.
He was a very capable student at school and also an outstanding athlete. He was in the Inters athletics team for all of his years at Hale and was Open Champion in 1945. He was on the Cygnet Committee in his final two years, was a member of the Dramatic Society, was in the School Cadet Unit for 4 years (and became a member of the rifle shooting team) and in his final year was a School prefect.
After leaving school he entered the Royal Australian Navy and trained as a pilot. Eventually he was posted aboard HMAS 'Sydney' to serve in the Korean conflict in 1951.
On his first mission against enemy forces on the 7th December 1951, his Sea Fury aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire north-west of Chinnampo after successfully attacking a bridge. He appeared to parachute safely to ground. However, when a helicopter crew reached him he was found dead. It transpired that he had been hit by the tailplane of the aircraft after he had bailed out.
He was 22 years of age. He left a widow and a three month old son.
Laid by his Haleian brother Mr Ian Sinclair.
Plaque No 122:
Brian Taylor LUSCOMBE
(Hale School 1942-1945)
He was born in 1928 and attended Hale School from 1942 to 1945. He was in the 1st XVIII, was the Captain of the 1st XI and a prefect in his final year.
Haleian journalist, Ron Saw remembered: 'I was at school with Bryan Luscombe … He was a slim, irreverent, easy-going bloke with a flop of brown hair over his forehead, a rather pendulous upper lip and a ready fund of cheerful schoolboy obscenity. He was captain of our 1st XI. "Alright Circular Saw," he'd say as we shambled onto the field to be slaughtered, "get in there at point and when they slice up my trip, you catch 'em!". "OK, Joe," I'd say bravely. I'd creep tremulously to silly point, but I'd have sat on the batsman's shoulders if he told me to. Everybody that knew him firmly believed the sun shone out of him.'
After leaving school, he entered the Royal Military College at Duntroon in Canberra and, after graduation, trained as an army pilot.
After being posted to Korea he flew light Auster aircraft over enemy lines as a Forward Observer for the artillery units, armed only with a revolver and sharp reflexes. After hundreds of hours of this hazardous flying he was eventually caught in enemy fire and failed to land his damaged aircraft.
He was 24 years of age. He was subsequently awarded a posthumous Mention in Despatches citation for his courageous work in the field of conflict.
Laid by a former Duntroon contemporary, Mr John Monks
Plaque No 123:
P/O Max E. Colebrook DFM
No 77 Squadron RAAF
Missing in Action
Korea
13 April 1952, aged 26 years
(Hale School 1938-1940)
He attended Hale School from Kalamunda between 1938 and 1940.
After World War II broke out he joined the Royal Australian Air Force and served in the South-West Pacific Theatre with No 77 Squadron as a member of the ground crew.
At war's end he was de-mobilised but later re-joined the air force, this time training as a pilot where topped the flying course at Point Cook in 1949.
Eventually he was posted again to No 77 Squadron and flew with them in Korea , being awarded both the Distinguished Flying Medal and the United States Air Medal for his operations against enemy forces.
On the 13th April, 1952, while flying a strafing operation, his Meteor aircraft was hit in the ventral tank. He jettisoned the tank safely and radioed he would return to base, but no further transmissions were received from him and his aircraft has never been located. Laid by Old Boy Korean War veteran, Military Cross, OBE and Army Commendation Medal recipient, Brigadier Russell Lloyd.
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Memorial Grove
Pre WW1 (1)
WW1
Western Front (16 - 43)
WW2
RAAF/RAF (44-65)
Middle East (66 - 83)
South West Pacific (84 - 121)
Korea (122 - 123)
