Written by Michael Schoeman:
Major Donald Mabile “Don”/“One-a-day” BREBNER, DFC, BA. 3 1/3-1-3.205600V
Don was born in Johannesburg on 15.1.20 and went to KES. He went to Edinburgh U for his BA degree. RTU. After joining the SAAF he was trained at 1 and 21 ASs from 7.41-1.42, gaining his wings and commission on 2.1.42. Donald Brebner joined 1 Sqdn on 10.8.42. On his first sortie Donald heard an urgent call on the R/T, “Donald, duck! Donald, duck!” He concluded that this was a R/T code that he hadn’t been taught yet or somebody playing the fool, when a 109 screamed past him and zoomed up the sky! “Duck” was the SAAF term for “Break!” But it was beginner’s luck that the 109 had missed him. Brebner later converted from Hurricanes to Spitfires. He was taking off on 19.1.43 when he was forced off the LG and hit a barrell, damaging the port wing of his Spitfire V. He lifted off, completed the circuit and landed again without further damage.
During a patrol in Spifire V ER473: AX-M on 7.3.43 he had a “livey dice” with a C.202. It pulled up and he got to 45m of it, only to have his cannon jam as he fired. Switching to MGs only, a long burst caused the Macchi to shudder, flick over, and go down vertically in a slow aileron turn, streaming black smoke. He followed until it fell into a cloud. It was credited as a probable. He turned into two more Macchis that were diving on him. His No.2 (Denis Quin - qv) managed a number of bursts as they diced with these.
A patrol on 25.3.43 in Spitfire V ER941: AX-E produced more action when the 11 Spitfires of 1 Sqdn ran into 20+ enemy fighters. Brebner’s No.2, Johnny van Nus (qv), shot down a 109 in a head-on confrontation. Brebner fired at four successive enemy fighters, also from head-on. At one time he saw three aircraft going down in smoke and flames. Then he pounced upon a Macchi 202 flying, unbeliveably, straight and level below him. He could clearly see the Italian fasces markings as it pulled up. This time his cannons were working and the C.202 crashed in a cloud of dust, smoke billowing up out of the dust. A patrol of six Spitfires engaged 109s on 29.3.43. During the initial attack he fired a long burst from astern at a 109 at 180m range with Spitfire V 590: AX-M. It rolled onto its back and fell vertically. Following it, he saw the 109 pull up over the sea, ricochet off the surface, crash and submerge.
When about to bounce 109s they found during a patrol on 6.4.43, the Sqdn was itself bounced by six 109s and 190s. Berbner in Spitfire V ER941: AX-E, and van Nus, peeled off after two as they dived past. The 109s pulled up into a climb to 6 400m with the two Spitfires coming up behind them. They were joined by six more 109s but Brebner closed with one, blowing a big hole in the side of the 109 just behind the black cross. It flicked over into a dive, leaving a long trail of smoke. The rest got away. He had fired 1,550 rounds. While escorting P-40Fs of the USAAF 79 FG on 21.4.43, they caught 109s as they tried to attack the Warhawks. Brebner (in Spitfire Vb ER583: AX-E) bounced one, firing a full deflection burst, turning into fine quarter as he did so. He emptied his guns into it. A large panel flew off the 109, and it went up again in a climb when Brebner overshot, noticing that the cockpit hood and fuselage were covered in oil.
He was escorting an ASR Walrus in Spitfire ER583 again, on 25.4.43 when six 109s attacked from opposite sides. He pulled across to meet one attack and it hesitated then went into a dive with Don in hot pursuit. He was gaining on it and firing short bursts that produced strikes around the cockpit with fragments flying off. His last burst was at 90m. It seemed to put its nose down further then suddenly pulled out and streaked away but Brebner had to return to the Walrus. Credited with a damaged Bf.109G. Brebner left 1 Sqdn on 23.5.43.
After being an instructor at 11 O.T.U. 7.43-1.44, he rejoined 1 Sqdn (now in Italy) on 28.2.44 He accompanied LtCol Bosman on a stooge looking for trouble on 27.5.44 and he shot down a Fw.190 between Foligno Main and its satellite. On 10.9.44 he shared Me.410 0732: F6+CK shot down NE of Modena with Lt “Wake ‘em” Wallace and Lt JBS Ross. It was 1 Sqdn’s final “kill.”
After much ground attack work, Don left 1 again on 1.10.44. He was made OC of 7 Sqdn from 10.4.45 when he came back “up North” for his third tour, but was shot down by flak in Spitfire IX MH532 on 19.4.45. He baled out south of Lake Comacchio, returning to the Sqdn by lunch time. His back had been injured (post war it was still troubling him) though he continued to fly “ops”. The war ended shortly afterwards.
Brebner was one of those fantastic pilots that any squadron could count on. And if he had been flying a Spitfire IX at the beginning of 1943 he might well have been an “ace.” After the war he gained a MBBCh at Wits and became a radiologist in 1955, in Johannesburg.