BEAUFORT BOMBER MEMORIAL CEREMONY
ON 27 MAY 2009 AT GRANDE PARK, GRANDE AVENUE, SPRINGFIELD LAKES

 

At 1720 hours on 10 April 1945, Beaufort bomber A9-670 of 32 Squadron RAAF, crashed at Greenbank, SSW of Brisbane, killing the crew of four. It crashed after completing an air to ground  gunnery practice exercise at the nearby Gailes Gunnery Range (also known as the Gailes Armament Range or Gailes Bombing Range) which is now part of the Greenbank Military Camp. 

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Squadron Leader Phil Parsons, Air Commodore Chris "Noddy" Sawade CSC (Senior Australian Defence
Force Officer, RAAF Base Amberley), Eric Cottrell, Chaplain (Wing Commander) Andrew Knight

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Chaplain (Wing Commander) Andrew Knight, Mrs Cottrell and Eric Cottrell,

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Eric Cottrell and Sandra Kerr-Knight

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Before the Ceremony started

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Address by Guest of Honour - Sandra Kerr-Knight, niece of LAC McGuigan

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Official Welcome by Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Unveiling of the Memorial by Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor
Sheila Ireland and Darlene Clark, Project Director Delfin Springfield Lakes
Honour Guard by 224 Squadron Air Force Cadets

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Unveiling of the Memorial by Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor
Sheila Ireland and Darlene Clark, Project Director Delfin Springfield Lakes

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Sheila Ireland
and Darlene Clark, Project Director Delfin Springfield Lakes

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Prayer Service by Chaplain (Wing Commander) Andrew Knight

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Family and invited guests

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Mrs. Diana Edmonds (sister of Sgt John "Jack" George Harvey) and daughter Jane Singh

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich, Councillor Sheila Ireland laying a wreath

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Darlene Clark, Project Director Delfin Springfield Lakes laying a wreath

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Ms Jo-Ann Miller, MP, State Member for Bundamba and school captains of Woodcrest State College

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Grahme Whiting nephew of FO Eric David Stephenson

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Grahme Whiting nephew of FO Eric David Stephenson

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Libby Kerr and Sandra Kerr-Knight

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Family (closest to camera) and invited guests

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Children from local schools planting some memorial trees

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Children from local schools planting some memorial trees

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

The Scene of the Memorial Ceremony

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Introduction of the Ode - Mr. Adrian Shipley, President Moreton District RSL being
introduced by Master of Ceremonies Councillor David Morrison

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Brad Strong, Salvation Army playing the Last Post

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Family (closest to camera) and invited guests

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Springfield College Band observing a Minutes Silence

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Reading of Poem "High Flight" by students of Springfield Lakes State School

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Reading of Poem "High Flight" by students of Springfield Lakes State School

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Concluding Remarks - Lloyd Bird

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Concluding Remarks - Councillor Sheila Ireland

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Mayor Paul Pisasale, Mayor of Ipswich, Darlene Clark, Project Director Delfin
Springfield Lakes, Sandra Kerr-Knight, Air Commodore Chris "Noddy" Sawade, Councillor Sheila Ireland and ?

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

The "missing" Barron Family at the Beaufort Bomber Memorial ceremony.  L to R:- Monica Barron
(sister-in-law), Maree Wylie (nee Barron - niece), Neil Barron (nephew), Sandra Kerr-Knight, Jack McClelland
(brother-in-law) and Garry Burton (nephew). Except for Sandra Kerr-Knight, all are related (as indicated) to
the late F/Sgt. Neville Barron. Monica Barron is the wife of Noel Barron, the brother of Neville Barron
and Jack McLelland is the husband of Kath McClelland (nee Barron), the sister of Neville Barron.

 

Sandra Kerr-Knight and others have been searching for any relatives of Flight Sergeant Neville James Barron for a number of years. On 26 May 2009 Sandra arranged for an interview with 612 ABC Radio on the Spencer Howson Breakfast Show in a last ditch effort to locate the "missing" Barron family. Maree Wylie (nee Barron) from Dalby, niece of F/Sgt Barron, received a phone call that night at about 6pm from a lady on the Sunshine Coast to advise of the search for their family. Click here to listen to the Radio Interview.

Maree immediately contacted her sister Leeanne Lane (nee Barron) in Bundaberg and her brother Neil Barron of Bell near Toowoomba. At first they were not sure if it was their uncle who had been mentioned on the radio interview. After numerous phone calls to each other and carrying out a Google Search, they found my web page on the accident. They were then convinced that this was indeed their uncle. I then received an e-mail from Leeanne Lane (nee Barron) at 8:30pm that night, asking about the location and details for the ceremony. This all happened the night before the ceremony was to happen!!

Despite the late minute discovery of the ceremony, and traffic delays due to a major accident on the Centenary Highway, Maree and Neil and a few other relatives managed to attend the Beaufort Bomber Memorial Ceremony the next morning.

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Family members in front of the Memorial

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Family members in front of the Memorial

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

The Harvey family members in front of the Memorial. Left to Right:- Stephen Halgren (Susan Halgren's husband),
Jane Singh (niece), Anne Edmonds (niece), Diana Edmonds (nee Harvey - sister), Julia Russell (great niece),
Susan Halgren (niece), Helen Russell (niece), Adam Halgren (great nephew), Andrew Russell (great nephew),
Peter Russell (Helen Russell's husband). All are related (as indicated) to the late P/O John George Harvey

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

The Memorial

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Close-up of left hand panel

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Close-up of centre panel

 


Photo:- Peter Dunn 27 May 2009

Close-up of right hand panel

 

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

 

I need your help

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©  Peter Dunn 2015

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This page first produced 27 May 2009

This page last updated 10 September 2018