Pilot Officer Maxwell Colebrook - 05895

 

Pilot Officer Maxwell Colebrook was born in Perth in May 1926 and was shot down over Korea on Easter Sunday 1952.  He attended school at Kalamunda before becoming a pupil at Hale School from 1938-1940. Colebrook was an excellent golfer and tennis player as well as a footballer for Hale’s school team. Another of his hobbies was making models of aircraft. As Colebrook had red hair he was affectionately known as Bluey.[1]

After leaving school, Colebrook studied at a Perth commercial college before taking a clerk’s job at a car dealership. In 1942 he joined the Air Training Corps as a cadet. The Air Training Corps had been formed the year before to train young men between 16 to 18 years old so they could successfully join the Royal Australian Air Force, (RAAF).  At the end of his two year’s training Colebrook was described by his unit commander as an Excellent Cadet.[2]   

In 1944 Colebrook enlisted in the RAAF as a Leading Aircraftman.  After his discharge in 1946, Colebrook worked in Perth as a commercial traveller and started a food retail business, while keeping up his flying skills by taking private lessons. [3]  Colebrook’s application into the RAAF was successful in 1949 and he began pilot training. Colebrook received ‘his wings’ in August 1950 and was awarded the Flying Prize for his course.

Colebrook was posted to the Number 77 Squadron of the RAAF in Korea in February 1951. [4]  During his first tour of duty in Korea he flew over 100 missions. One mission that Colebrook flew on in March 1951 made the news back home. He was one of six Australian and eight American fighter pilots who provided air cover for a daring but successful helicopter rescue of an American fighter pilot behind enemy lines.[5] In recognition of this service Colebrook was awarded a US Air Medal, which was presented to him in early 1952.  The photo below is of Colebrook being presented with this in Kimpo, Korea.  However, the Queen needed to approve the awarding of foreign decorations, and this was not done until October 1953, more than a year after his death.


Flying Sergeant M. Colebrook being awarded the US Air Medal in Korea in 1952

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C37343


Colebrook was on his second tour in Korea when he disappeared on 13 April 1952 after his plane was hit by ground fire.  He radioed to the other planes in his flight that he had been hit and was heading for base but did not arrive back.  After his plane went down, pilots from the No. 77 squadron returned repeatedly to the area where he was hit. Some pilots flew four missions that day looking for any sign of Colebrook and fighting ground fire while they did it. Usually, two missions a day was the maximum pilots were allowed to fly.  When the search was called off the pilots were advised to build a cricket pitch near the runway and think of something else. [6]

Wing Commander Susans of the RAAF wrote to Colebrook’s family the week after his death giving them more details of their son’s disappearance and the hope that he had been able to escape his Meteor aircraft by parachuting out behind enemy lines. Susans went onto say that a number of pilots had done this and later escaped and that he was confident that Colebrook was well qualified and able to do this if he had the opportunity. Susan finished this letter with “the loss of Max was a great blow to the Squadron, his cheerful personality and good spirits at all times made him most popular and he was highly respected by Officers and Men alike. [7]

Colebrook’s body was never recovered, and he was regarded as missing, presumedly killed in action (AWM), until his death was confirmed by the RAAF in 1956.  After his death Colebrook was given a commission which was backdated to the day before he was shot down.  His family found out about his promotion from Flying Sergeant to Pilot Officer as well as receiving a copy of the photo above of being awarded the US Air Medal by unofficial means several months after his death.[8]

Colebrook was also posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for service during his second tour of duty in Korea.[9]  The West Australian reported that the award was for the skill and determination shown by Colebrook in air combat with superior forces.[10]


[1] Page, Charles. ‘War Hero Max ‘Bluey’ Colebrook, DFM, AM (US)’. Australian Air Power Today. March 2019, p.58. https://australianairpowertoday.com.au/aapt/public_html/digital/March19/mobile/index.html#p=58

[2] As above

[3] As above

[4] Edwin Colebrook DFM https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/617276

[5] 'Helicopter Rescue', Kalgoorlie Miner), 15 March, p. 5.

[6] Nicholls, Rochelle. 2020. The Korean Kid: A Young Australian Pilot’s Baptism of Fire in the Jet Fighter Age. Big Sky Publishing NSW.

 [7] Letter from Wing Commander Susans to C. E. Colebrook, dated 17 April 1952 and contained in NAA. A705, COLEBROOK, Maxwell Edwin 1952-1957.

[8] Letter from C. E. Colebrook to the Secretary, Department of Air, dated 6 June 1952 and contained in NAA. A705, COLEBROOK, Maxwell Edwin 1952-1957.

[9] Government Gazette Notices, Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 5 June 1952, p. 2711.

[10] D.F.M. GIVEN TO MISSING W.A. AIRMAN, The West Australian, 12 June 1952, p. 3.

 

 

 

 

 

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