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Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Mt Pigeon House: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
AW799
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While flying in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft hit the southeast slope of Mt Pigeon House located 10 miles west of Ulladulla. All three crew members were killed.
Crew (73rd Squadron):
F/Sgt C. D. Robertson, pilot,
F/Sgt K. A. Richards,
F/Sgt B. V. Higgins.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA off Tanimbar Island: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-233
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
414-6483
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a maritime patrol flight off Indonesia on behalf of the 2nd Squadron. En route, while attacking the Japanese ship christened 'Sugi Maru', the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed into the sea some 20 miles north of the Tanimbar Island. Three crew were killed instantly while two others were rescued and taken PoW. Both were executed on October 31.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/Lt L. A. Martin, †
F/O Marcus C. Wettenhall, †
F/Sgt N. A. Graham,
F/O M. H. Williams, †
F/Sgt William Robinson Boanas.
Probable cause:
Shot down by Japanese fire.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Townsville: 13 killed

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1943 at 1648 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A24-52
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Townsville - Townsville
MSN:
1259
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The seaplane, carrying 10 crew and 9 passengers, crashed when landing after returning from Merauke and Karumba. After touching down the aircraft traveled a short distance when it struck a large wave and sank by the bow. A film that captured the incident disclosed that after the aircraft sank by the bow one or both anti-submarine depth charges exploded.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Charles John Miles, pilot, †
F/Lt William John Canterbury, pilot, †
F/O Ronald Irvine Ferguson, pilot, †
F/O Gordon John Robert Hockey, navigator, †
F/O Reginald Albert Weeks, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Bernard Victor McInerney, wireless operator, †
Cpl William Richard George Lobb, fitter,
Sgt Maxwell Burnett Dore, flight engineer,
Cpl Ronald Colin Smith, fitter,
Cpl Albert Leslie Fowler, armourer.
Passengers:
S/L Leo Mathew Hogan, †
F/O Charles Harry Ratcliffe, †
S/L John Vernon Angus, †
F/Lt Frank Haighton Lord, †
F/Lt William Archie Wilkinson, †
P/O Beresford Frederick Shearman, †
Cdr Arthur Henry Cobby,
W/Cdr Bruce Panton MacFarlan,
W/Cdr Willem Lodewyk Boscchart Stephens.
Source:
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld190.htm

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina off Bowen: 14 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1943 at 1300 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A24-24
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Bowen - Bowen
MSN:
380
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
The seaplane took off from Bowen on an air to sea gunnery training exercise. At the conclusion of firing practice, the aircraft was making a run across the wave tops over a choppy sea and it is assumed that the port wing hit the water and the aircraft crashed into the sea and sank approximately 5 miles east of Bowen. Two crew members survived while 14 other occupants were killed.
Crew (20th Squadron):
F/O Peter Keene, pilot, †
F/O Stanley John Porteous, copilot, †
Sgt Robin Fowler, flight engineer,
Sgt Raymond Charles Ciglander, navigator, †
Sgt Harold Stuart William Thomas, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Leslie George Dalgleish, fitter, †
LAC Ainslie Ivor Dent, fitter, †
AC1 Cyril Leslie Edwards, armourer.
Passengers:
Sgt Lloyd George Fiske,
S/Sgt Leslie Harry Harrison,
Sgt Robert Ronald Harrison,
Pvt Douglas McLaine,
Pvt Irvine George Osborne,
Cpt Lawrence Edward Tansey,
Pvt Kenneth Reginald Walker,
Cpt Donald Charles Whitfeld.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA into the Arafura Sea: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-181
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Milingimbi - Milingimbi
MSN:
414-6353
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a maritime patrol flight over the sea of Arafura. In flight, twin engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed into the sea, killing all four crew members.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
Sgt Lamb, pilot,
Sgt Ikin, navigator,
Sgt N. McLean, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt M. Jackson, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a Japanese fighter.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I in Coffs Harbour

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
W2638
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While completing a training sortie, the pilot became lost. Due to fuel exhaustion, he was forced to attempt an emergency landing on a beach located in Coffs Harbour. While all four crew members were rescued, the aircraft was lost. The accident occurred after a flight of almost 6 ½ hours, two hours beyond the accepted endurance.
Crew:
F/O James M. Swann, pilot,
A. H. Morton, wireless operator and air gunner 2.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon III in Terapo

Date & Time: Jul 12, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A34-43
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Terapo
MSN:
2032
YOM:
1942
Location:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Terapo Airstrip, the airplane developed a swing to starboard and corrective action applied using a combination of rudder, throttle and brakes. The swing was almost corrected when the starboard wheel hit a deep drain which pulled the other wheel into the drain, resulting in the undercarriage being torn off. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and the pilot escaped uninjured.
Crew:
Sgt S. Reading, pilot.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson IIIA on Mt Kekneno: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-195
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
414-6459
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane was engaged in a bombing mission to Penfoei with three other similar airplanes. En route, weather conditions deteriorated with thunderstorm. Two crews decided to return to base and a third was forced to return due to an engine failure. Despite the situation, the pilot decided to continue to Penfoei when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain near Mt Kekneno located some 100 km northeast of Kupang. The airplane was destroyed and all five occupants were killed. The wreckage was found after the war.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
S/L C. C. Williams, pilot,
F/Lt A. M. Fowler, navigator,
F/O W. A. Hepworth, wireless operator,
F/O R. C. Lindsay, air gunner,
F/Sgt D. C. Farmer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I into Bass Strait: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A16-32
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
East Sale - East Sale
MSN:
414-1883
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed East Sale Airfield at 1944LT to carry out practice DR9. This practice was a night flight from Base-Flinders-Currie-Hogan Group-Base. The aircraft was on wireless silence and the maximum endurance was seven hours. The airplane failed to return to base and all searches have proved negative.
Crew:
P/O John James Bowman, pilot,
P/O Alan Joseph Malone, navigator,
P/O Harry Robert Alfred Guymer, wireless operator and air gunner,
P/O Alexander Frederick McDonald, wireless operator and air gunner,
P/O John Alexander Buchanan, air gunner.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon III in Rorona

Date & Time: Jul 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A34-41
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2030
YOM:
1942
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Rorona-Rogers Field (30 Mile Drome), the airplane veered off runway to the right. The pilot applied full power but tall kunai grass prevented the aircraft from regaining flying speed. The right main landing gear struck a concealed trench and the airplane came to rest. The pilot escaped with minor injuries and the airplane was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
F/O C. L. McCool, pilot.