Franklin Percival Goulburn Jr.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Franklin Percival Goulburn Jr. was born on July 9, 1927 in New Jersey, to Franklin Percival Goulburn and his wife, the former Katherine R. Tatem. A younger brother, William, was born about two years later. Sadly, his father, who had been in ill health, died on June 29, 1933. Kathryn Goulburn returned to the Collingswood, New Jersey area where she had grown up, and began teaching and coaching sports in Merchantville. The 1940 Census shows the family living at 214 Mansion Avenue in Audubon. They later moved to 314 Maple Avenue in Collingswood, and eventually to 885 Haddon Avenue.

Franklin P. Goulburn graduated from Collingswood High School in 1944 as a member of the National Honor Society. A fine athlete, he was a member of the track, football, and swim teams. His success in high school earned him an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. A member of the Academy’s Class of 1949, he was a member of the swim team in 1947, 1948, and 1949, and was the team captain in his senior year. At one point during his career at Annapolis, he competed in swimming against his brother William, who was attending Dartmouth University.

Franklin P. Goulburn was commissioned as an Ensign on June 3, 1949. He qualified for flight duty and was trained as a navigator, later promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. He also married, and on April 29, 1951 his wife Jean gave birth to a son, Franklin P. Goulburn III, at Fort Lawton Hospital in Seattle, Washington. He was assigned to the newly formed Patrol Squadron 9 (VP-9), based at Sand Point Naval Air Station near Seattle.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Franklin P. Goulburn Jr. was killed on June 21, 1951, along with four other men, when his PB4Y-2 Privateer patrol bomber crashed in the Skagit Bay tidal flats at the north end of Camano Island, about 50 miles north of Seattle and 11 miles east of Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. He was survived by his wife, son, mother, and brother.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Goulburn was brought home to New Jersey and buried at Harleigh Cemetery in Camden, New Jersey.

His mother, Katherine Tatem Goulburn, was elected to the Collingswood High School Hall of Fame in 1991. She had graduated from Collingswood High School in 1920, recognized for both her excellent scholarship and athletic ability. An outstanding goalie in field hockey, she went to Trenton Normal School, receiving a teaching degree. After working in Merchantville, she took a position with the Collingswood school system in 1945, remaining there until she retired in 1964.

Many thanks to Rob Goulburn for his help in creating this page.