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Wing Commander Charles Learmonth.
DFC and Bar. R.A.A.F
Son of Noel Fulford Learmonth.
The following information was taken from the magazine ‘Airforce
News’ which is the official Newspaper of the Royal Australian Air Force,
volume 42, number 11, December 2000 : “Australian Beaufort returns
from the grave” by Michael Armit (pages 32-34). Scores of accidents
particularly in 1942 and 1943, in training and operational flying, killing
many aircrew, cast a shadow over the Beaufort aircraft. This resulted in
many harsh words being spoken at No1 Operational Training Unit in
Victoria and other places, until the cause was found and corrected.
One Beaufort tragedy was the crash off Western Australia of A9-346
captained by 26 year old Wing Commander Charles Learmonth, DFC and
Bar, commanding 14 Squadron, during formation flying practice between
the RAAF’s Pearce base and Rottnest Island in January 1944.
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