Service Details
- Branch of Service
- Air Force
- Conflict
- Korea (1950-1953)
- Date of Enlistment
- 16/10/1940
- Date of Discharge
- 30/11/1954
- Place of Enlistment
- Sydney NSW
Personal Details
- Gender
- Male
- Date of Birth
- 18/02/1921
- Place of Birth
- Stockton NSW
- Address (at enlistment)
- RAAF Base Canberra (Fairbairn), ACT
- Occupation
- Pilot
- Next of Kin
- Betty Coburn (wife), RAAF Base Canberra (Fairbairn), ACT
Unit and Rank Details
- Service Number
- O2179
- Final Rank
- Flight Lieutenant
- Final Unit
- No. 77 (Fighter) Squadron
Awards and Honours
Distinguished Flying Cross (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 19 July 1951, page 1809, position 11)
US Air Medal (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette: 22 June 1951, page 1555, position 16)
Notes
Coburn came from the Hunter district where he married Betty Saunders (nee McIntosh), the daughter of Stuart McIntosh, in 1946. A World War 2 veteran based at RAAF Canberra (next to the McIntosh family property at Malcolm Vale) from about 1949, he was called up for service with the 77th Squadron in 1950. Flying a Mustang fighter out of Iwakuni air field near Hiroshima in Japan, Coburn flew 100 missions. He was awarded the United States Air Medal in 1951 for "meritorious service sustained war operations Korea" from 12 July to 21 August 1950. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his "aggressiveness & leadership 74 missions" between 9 July and 31 December 1950. Coburn died in 1987.
Sources
Nominal Roll of Australian Veterans of the Korean War http://www.koreanroll.gov.au/
WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
George Odgers, 'Across the Parallel - the Australian 77th Squadron with the United States Air Force in the Korean War', 1953
David Wilson, 'Lion over Korea: 77 Fighter Squadron RAAF 1950-53', 1994
Susan and Kevin McIntosh, 'The Highland Shepherd', 2017 (p.246)
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
The Canberra Times - 21 July 1950, 7 November 1950, 4 December 1950, 5 December 1950, 30 March 1951, 7 July 1951
AWM Honours & Awards
AWM Collections Records : P01254.130, P03119.011, P03119.032, JK0060
AWM Collections Record : MSS2043, Lyall Klaffer, 'Fighter Pilot' (p.28)