Page 79 - Memorial Groves

‘I was at school with Bryan PLAQUE NO 125:
Luscombe. He was a slim, P/O Maxwell Edwin Colebrook DFM

irreverent, easy-going bloke

with a flop of brown hair over (1938-40)

his forehead, a rather pendulous No 77 Squadron RAAF
Missing in Action: Korea -13 April 1952. Aged 26
upper lip and a ready fund of
cheerful schoolboy obscenity. Max attended Hale School from Kalamunda between 1938 and
1940.
He was captain of our 1st XI. After World War II broke out he joined the Royal Australian Air
“Alright Circular Saw,” he’d Force and served in the South-West Pacific Theatre with No 77
PLAQUE NO 124: say as we shambled onto the Squadron as a member of the ground crew.

Brian Taylor Luscombe field to be slaughtered, “get At war's end he was de-mobilised but later re-joined the air force,
this time training as a pilot where he topped the flying course at
Point Cook in 1949.
m.i.d. (1942-45) in there at point and when
they slice up my trip, you Eventually he was posted again to No 77 Squadron and flew with
them in Korea, being awarded both the Distinguished Flying
Brian was born in 1928 and attended Hale School from 1942 to 1945. He catch ‘em!” “OK, Joe,” I’d say Medal and the United States Air Medal for his operations against
was in the 1st XVIII, was Captain of the 1st XI and a prefect in his final year. enemy forces. On the 13 April, 1952, while flying a strafing
bravely. I’d creep tremulously operation, his Meteor aircraft was hit in the ventral tank. He
After leaving school, he entered the Royal Military College at Duntroon in jettisoned the tank safely and radioed he would return to base,
Canberra and, after graduation, trained as an army pilot. to silly point, but I’d have sat but no further transmissions were received from him and his
After being posted to Korea he flew light Auster aircraft over enemy lines on the batsman’s shoulders if aircraft has never been located.

as a Forward Observer for the artillery units, armed only with a revolver Placed by Old Boy Korean War veteran, Military Cross, OBE and
and sharp reflexes. After hundreds of hours of this hazardous flying he he told me to. Everybody that Army Commendation Medal recipient, Brigadier Russell Lloyd
was eventually caught in enemy fire and failed to land his damaged knew him firmly believed the (1938-47).
aircraft. He was 24 years of age.
sun shone out of him.’
He was subsequently awarded a posthumous Mention in Despatches
citation for his courageous work in the field of conflict. Many thanks to Hale School Archivist at the time, Dr Bill Edgar
by fellow Haleian and journalist for the many hours spent in researching these stories - and in
Placed by a former Duntroon contemporary, Mr John Monks Ron Saw (1936-45) bringing the Memorial Groves to fruition.

STANDING: B Dymock, F M Cooke, D W Finkelstein, C R Saw, D W Broadhurst, T C Edmondson
SEATED: D F Mackenzie, J K Munro, B T Luscombe (Captain), T Rowlands Esq., C R Gilchrist (Vice Captain), J F Monks, D Home.