Background
On April 2, 1926 John Arthur Brabham, the son of a green grocer, was born in
Hurstville a suburb of Sydney. He left school at the age of 15 to work in a
garage.
Wartime History
On May 19, 1944 just one month after turning eighteen, Brabham enlisted in the Royal
Australian Air Force (RAAF). His final posting was No. 5 Operational Training Unit (5 OTU) at Williamtown
and operating a number of aircraft including Beaufighters and Mosquitos. Brabham was then
discharged from the RAAF on April 2, 1946 at age 20 with the rank of Leading Aircraftman
(LAC).
Postwar
For the ten years leading up until 1957, Brabham gained experience in numerous types
of car racing before starting his Formula 1 career. His first Grand Prix win came at Monaco on
May 12, 1959. This win helped Brabham obtain his first World Championship.
After five Grand Prix wins in 1960, Brabham scored his second World Championship title,
his third being obtained in 1966 at age 40. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in
the same year and continued racing until 1970.
Memorials
On May 19, 2014 Brabham passed away in retirement in the Gold Coast of Queensland, QLD. He is buried at Goodwood House in Chichester, England.
References
Australian WW2 Nominal Roll Profile
Sir Jack Brabham, OBE - Official Website
International Motorsports Hall Of Fame Biography
FindAGrave - Sir Jack "Black Jack" Brabham (photos)
Aviation Heritage - John Arthur Brabhan
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for additional information
