code

Autonomous Region of Bougainville

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III in Piva: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1945 at 0924 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ2012
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Honiara - Piva
MSN:
414-3825
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On final approach, the twin engine aircraft stalled, crashed onto the runway and exploded. Two crew members were seriously injured while three others were killed.
Crew:
F/Lt Robert Lamason, †
F/O Wilfred Hall, †
LAC John Medhurst, †
W/O P. Doody,
LAC R. McAnich.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura off Piva: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4623
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Piva – Emirau
MSN:
6338
YOM:
1944
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
Few minutes after take off from Piva Aerodrome, en route to Emirau Island, the twin engine aircraft crashed into the sea some 15 miles offshore. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found, except two dinghies and a headset.
Crew (4th Squadron):
W/Cdr Norman Lecher,
F/Lt John Wright,
F/Lt Harald Thomson,
W/O William Boughey,
F/O Barclay Harrington,
Sgt Lewis Mawson,
Sgt Rex Mossman.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura near the Aita River: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4634
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
6396
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was involved in a supply mission. After some of the load was dropped, while flying in a valley, the pilot increased power on both engines to leave the valley but the aircraft hit the ridge of a mountain and crashed. Four crew members were killed while the fifth occupant was seriously injured.
Crew (1st Squadron):
F/Sgt N. Gardiner,
F/Lt Dennis Hobbs, †
F/Lt Robert Scarlett, †
W/O Stanley Nuttall, †
F/Sgt Fred Murphy. †

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura off Bougainville Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1944 at 1010 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
NZ4530
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
5641
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a maritime patrol flight north of the Solomon Islands. En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to fly back to his base. The aircraft eventually crashed into the sea some 150 miles northeast of the Bougainville Island. All five occupants were killed.
Crew (9th Squadron):
F/O Reginald Mather,
P/O Jack Battye,
W/O Ivan Lorenzen,
Sgt Henry Mosen,
F/S William Neave.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Buin: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 27, 1943 at 0540 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-9128
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Carney - Carney
MSN:
2600
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew left Carney Airfield in the early morning to attack the Kahili Airfield in Buin. Following a successful mission, the aircraft christened 'De-Icer' was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed in flames 5 miles northwest of the airfield. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew (5th BG):
1st Lt Karl G. Stubblefield, pilot,
2nd Lt William E. Nevling, copilot,
1st Lt Walter C. Witherspoon, navigator,
1st Lt Robert J. Jones, bombardier,
M/Sgt Lowell E. Symons, flight engineer,
T/Sgt John L. Larson, assistant engineer,
T/Sgt Thomas H. Shadrick, radio operator,
Sgt Don E. Christenson, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Ranier P. Payton,
S/Sgt Louis Penven Jr.
Probable cause:
Shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress in Buin: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jul 19, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-9153
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2625
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
En route, the four-engine bomber christened 'Tokyo Taxi' was shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter and crashed in flames near the Kahili Airfield, in the region of Buin. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew (23rd BS):
Cpl William T. Davis,
1st Lt Rex Eckles,
2nd Lt William H. Fox,
S/Sgt Raymond H. Greene,
Sgt Paul L. Hensley,
Cpl Edmund O. Hill,
2nd Lt David C. Jones,
Sgt Herbert J. Kelly,
2nd Lt Richard H. Knop,
Sgt Charles D. Savedge.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a Japanese fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina in Aita: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1943 at 2320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A24-43
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cairns - Cairns
MSN:
1096
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Took off from Cairns at 1500LT to drop supplies to coastwatchers at two locations: Aita, Bougainville (for Coastwatcher Jack Read) and Bunbun, New Ireland. Arriving at Aita at 2300LT, the drop zone was easily located with the Catalina flying at 10,000', with clear skies and no moon visible. They commenced the drop and made two left circuits, dropping two parachutes. Prior to the third drop, an impact was heard and engine revved to full power at 2320LT. The Catalina impacted trees and crashed on a ridge. Three crew members were killed while six others were rescued.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt William James Clark, pilot, †
F/O John Nigel Elmhurst Potts, copilot, †
Sgt Dudley James Ward, flight engineer, †
F/O Clifton Stuart Dunn, navigator,
Cpl John Fenwick, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/O Colin J. Twist,
Cpl Ronald Hugh Alexander Wettenhall,
Sgt Frederick Gordon Thompson,
Cpl Herbert Yates.
Source: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/pby/A24-43.html

Crash of a Mitsubishi G4M near Buin: 12 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T1-323
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Rabaul – Lakunai – Balalae Island
MSN:
2656
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Rabaul-Vunakanau Airport in early morning bound for Balalae Island with an intermediate stop in Lakunai to pick up passengers. The twin engine aircraft was flying together with another Mitsubishi G4M and an escort of six Mitsubishi Zero. It left Lakunai Airfield at 0610LT and while approaching the south of the Bougainville Island, the formation was attacked by a squadron of 12 USAAF P-38. The G4M was shot down and crashed in a jungle located some 25 km north of Buin, killing all 12 occupants, among them Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto and several high rank Navy Officers who were performing an inspection of the Japanese installations in the area of the Solomon Islands.
Crew (705th Kōkūtai):
W/O Takeo Koyani, pilot,
W/O Takeo Kotani, pilot,
F/S Akiharu Ozaki, copilot,
P/O Haruo Ueda, flight engineer,
P/O Nobuo Hara, radio operator,
P/O Minoru Tanaka, air gunner,
F/S Mitsuo Ueno, air gunner,
F/S Harumasa Kobayashi, air gunner.
Passengers:
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto,
Admiral Takata,
Cdr Kurio Toibana,
Cdr Noburu Fukusaki.
Probable cause:
Shot down by USAAF fighters.

Crash of a Mitsubishi G4M off Moila Point: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1943 at 0800 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T1-326
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Rabaul – Lakunai – Balalae Island
MSN:
2659 ?
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Rabaul-Vunakanau Airport in early morning bound for Balalae Island with an intermediate stop in Lakunai to pick up passengers. The twin engine aircraft was flying together with another Mitsubishi G4M and an escort of six Mitsubishi Zero. It left Lakunai Airfield at 0610LT and while approaching the south of the Bougainville Island, the formation was attacked by a squadron of 12 USAAF P-38. The G4M was shot down and crashed into the sea off Moila Point, some 15 km southwest of Buin. Two passengers and the captain were found alive while all other occupants were killed, among them several high rank Navy Officers who were performing an inspection of the Japanese installations in the area of the Solomon Islands and were accompanying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.
Crew (705th Kōkūtai):
F/O Hiroshi Hayashi, pilot,
Cdr Hiroaki Tanimura 6.
Passengers:
Vice-Admiral Matome Ugaki,
Cpt Motoharu Kitamura,
Cdr Rinji Tomoro,
Cdr Kaoru Imananka,
Cdr Suteji Muroi.
Probable cause:
Shot down by USAAF fighters.

Crash of a Boeing B-17E Flying Fortress near Buin: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
41-2635
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Port Moresby - Port Moresby
MSN:
2446
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Port Moresby-Seven Mile Airport in the early morning with a crew of eight and a load of 1,000 pounds of bombs to attack Japanese ships based in the Tonolei Harbor. Upon arrival in the target area, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and the aircraft disappeared in unknown circumstances. No trace was ever found.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt John S. Hancock, pilot,
Sgt Robert H. Burns, copilot,
1st Lt James W. Carver, navigator,
Cpl Hiram D. Wilkinson, flight engineer,
Sgt Edward R. Cipriani, radio operator,
Sgt Mac S. Groesbeck, air gunner,
Sgt Raymond A. Maxwell, air gunner,
Cpl Curtis F. Longenberger, air gunner.