Gippsland Aviation Accidents

17/12/2024

Yesterday on the 16th December 1943 CAC Boomerang A46-10 was approaching to land at No 1 OTU East Sale. The pilot attempted to lower the undercarriage but found it would not extend. He then used the normal emergency procedure to attempt to lower the undercarriage but it failed to retract. The aircraft made a successful forced landing with undercarriage retracted. This resulted in damage to the air screw, front fuselage, cowl flaps and starboard mainplane. After the accident it was found that the bell crank, that operates the latch and locks the undercarriage in the down position failed. This resulted in the undercarriage to remain in the up position.
Pilot F/Lt Keith Raymond Brown 280701 was uninjured.

09/12/2024

Yesterday on the 8th December 1944 No. 100 Squadron Beaufort A9-432 was on a flight from GRS General Reconnaissance School Bairnsdale when it suddenly plummeted to earth about 4 miles NW of Bairnsdale aerodrome. A witness at the time said the aircraft appeared to be in a spin before impact. When personnel arrived at the scene the aircraft was burning fiercely and could not be approached. Due to the intense heat and ammunition exploding in all directions. All crew and passengers were killed.
Pilot FO Kenneth James Hovenden 410412
Second pilot FO Robert Murray Buchanan 408622
Nav, F/Sgt Colin Arthur Lee Haslam 436910
WOAG, F/Sgt Robert Thomas Thompson 419920
WOAG, F/Sgt Walter James Ellen 431146
Passenger, LAC Edward Gilbert Willett 410277
Passenger Cpl James Popple Warren 42451
All are buried in the Bairnsdale War Cemetery.

03/12/2024

On the 4th December 1943 Ryan Trainer A50-16 from No 3 BAGS West Sale was performing unauthorised aerobatics when it suffered a partial engine failure. The pilot attempted an emergency landing about 1 mile SE of Seaspray. The aircraft came to rest about 100 yards of the shore in the sea.
Pilot FO Maurice Dewar 409523
Passenger FO William Waterson Stevens 415281
Both were uninjured.
FO Dewar 409523 was also involved in Fairey Battle L5129 forced landing at Dutson Range on the 9th April 1943 after an engine failure.

17/11/2024

On the 18th November 1944 Beaufort A9-591 from No 1 OTU East Sale was engaged in an instrument flying cross country flight when it crashed at Cressy. The aircraft made a normal circuit before attempting a landing in strong cross winds. During the landing at the correct height the port wing dropped causing the port wheel to hit first. This caused the aircraft to bounce and swing to port and the aircraft got out of control running off the runway. The undercarriage port leg collapsed first causing the aircraft to ground loop. The aircraft came to rest on its belly at right angles to the runway.
The crew were uninjured.
Pilot F/Lt James Lyall Legge 408854.
Trainee pilot. WO Leslie Hilay Allen 401474
Nav, WO Raymond Lewis Johnson 417306
WOAG, F/Lt Peter Belford Creage 405396.
WO Mathew Bennet 401687
Passenger WAAAF W/T operator Dorothy Maie Hipwell

13/11/2024

On the 15th November 1943 Beaufort A9-423 was on an instrument and low flying exercise over Lake King. While over the lake the pilot misjudged the aircraft’s height above the water and the aircrew struck the water. This then fractured the reduction engine gear housing. While landing at Bairnsdale the airscrew became detached and damage was done to the undercarriage and tailplane.
All crew were uninjured.
Pilot F/Sgt Roy Mansfield Wishart 417143
Nav, F/Sgt Harry Sydney James Terrill 419426
Tragically F/Sgt Harry Terrill aged 20 was killed in Beaufort A9-350 on Saddleback Mountain , 4 miles from Kiama NSW only three days later on the 18th November 1943.

24/10/2024

On the 25th October 1942 Fairey Battle L 5765 from No 1 OTU Bairnsdale while on a flight from Bairnsdale to Mallacoota overshot the runway. The aircraft ploughed through a stump which resulted in the destruction of the undercarriage and engine.
Pilot, Sgt Donald Pearce Wills 412223
F/Lt Maloney
PO Edward James Ingram 253297
All crew were uninjured.
Sgt Wills 412223 was also involved in Hawker Demon A1-1 accident on the 3rd July 1942 at No 1 OTU Bairnsdale.

22/10/2024

21/10/2024

On the 22nd October 1942 Fairey Battle K9219 from No 3 BAGS West Sale suffered an engine failure in flight. This resulted in an engine fire within the aircraft. The crew parachuted from the aircraft before the aircraft crashed. It was totally destroyed by fire.
Pilot Sgt Roy Rosevear 412706
LAC Finlay Sinclair 418188
LAC Henry Anderson Shortridge 421515
Sgt Rosevear and LAC Shortridge suffered slight injuries.

21/10/2024

Yesterday on the 20th October 1943 Fairey Battle L5736 from No 3 BAGS West Sale made a forced landing 3 miles east of Somers. The aircraft had suffered an engine failure due to a glycol leak.
Pilot F/Sgt Gordon Edward Matley 412992
Drogue Operator, LAC Alexander Humphries 117742
Passenger, F/Sgt Raymond John Keyes 420571
All crew were uninjured.
Tragically WO Raymond John Keyes aged 21 years was killed in Kittyhawk A29-649 near Kokoda Pass on the 29th Jan 1945.

15/10/2024

On the 16th October 1942 Beaufort A9-74 from No 1 OTU Bairnsdale attempted a take-off from the aerodrome but ran through a boundary fence. It then hit a stump causing the undercarriage to collapse.
Pilot, PO Ian Harris Fielding 409038
Sgt John Joseph Callaghan 413342
Sgt William McDonald Smith 409857
WOAG, Sgt James Brock 409983.
All were uninjured.
Tragically PO Ian Harris Fielding 409038 aged 26 years was killed in Beaufort A9-667 on the 2nd April 1945 at Tadji New Guinea. F/Sgt James Brock 409983 aged 27 years was also killed in Beaufort A9-314 at Northampton WA on the 24th October 1943. He is buried in the Geraldton War Cemetery.

10/10/2024

On the 11th October 1942 Lockheed Hudson A16-18 from No 1 OTU Bairnsdale went missing on a seaward reconnaissance flight. It was on a DR4 exercise to a point about 100 miles due south of Port Albert, then back to Bairnsdale. During the exercise they were to carry out a reconnaissance of East and West Sister islands, located just north of Flinders Island. They also were to make sketches of their observations, and to photograph Mallacoota aerodrome and Gabo Island from 6000ft. On the 12th October , six Hudsons and four Oxfords searched for missing Hudson A16-18 without finding any trace of the aircraft.
Pilot, FO Edward Raymond Deacon 408978 Missing
Observer, Sgt Albert Fletcher Manning 415038 Missing
Wireless Op, Sgt Cecil Humphrey Andrews 405340 Missing
Air Gunner, Sgt William Anderson 405389 Missing

09/10/2024

On the 9th October 1943 Beaufort A9-152 from No 1 OUT East Sale was carrying out a DR11B exercise. While on landing at East Sale the pilot encountered a ground mist and lost sight of the flarepath.. The pilot could only see four flares and thought he was overshooting the runway. He then increased power and landed heavily, bounced and crashed on the runway. Flames came from the engine cowl and were extinguished by the fire tender. All crew were uninjured.
Pilot F/Sgt Allan Keith Morrell 7246
Nav, “B” Sgt Ernest Kindred Townson Platt 423883
WOAG, Sgt Leslie Grinblat 428545
WOAG, Sgt John Frederick Hunt 419045
Tragically on the 14th August 1945 FO Allan Keith Morrell 7246 with seven other crew and passengers were killed in Mitchell B25D A47-37 after going missing in PNG. The war ended the next day.

08/10/2024

On the 9th October 1943 Beaufort A9-301 from No 1 OTU East Sale was carrying out low flying exercises near Lakes Entrance. The aircraft struck the water with its tail plane and crashed near the Kalimna Hotel. The aircraft gradually submerged under the water and then settled on a sandbank. The pilot received slight abrasions and shock and the remaining crew were uninjured.
Pilot, PO Douglas William Adams 407384
Nav, 'B', Sgt George Rutherford Rimes 424278
WAG, Sgt Wilfred Wyatt Baker 424553
WAG, Sgt Alan Edward Coleman 424489

07/10/2024

On the 7th October 1943 Beaufort A9-409 from No 1 OTU East Sale was on a DR10 (T) exercise at night when it went missing. The exercise required the aircraft to fly from East Sale to Paynesville, to Bligh Point onto Currie on King Is. Then to the Hogan Group of Islands, to Yarram and back to East Sale. A report was received that an aircraft had crashed into the sea near Woodside Beach. A resident of Woodside heard the aircraft flying in a northerly direction and noticed a red glow over the sand hills. Moments later an explosion was heard and on reaching the beach two low grey black clouds of smoke were seen. A search was done and an oil patch about 50 yards long was found 1¼ miles off the beach. The water was about 10 fathoms deep but no sign of the aircraft was found. On the 10th October 1943 the body of Sgt Sexton was found on the beach about five miles from Woodside Beach after being washed ashore. No other crew members were found during the search. On the 11th October 1943 a fuel tank and part undercarriage were found on the beach. The undercarriage can now be seen at the Gippsland Armed Forces Museum at West Sale.
Pilot, Sgt Laurence William Smith 425769 Missing aged 22 years
Nav, F/Sgt William John Rogers 427150 Missing aged 19 years
WOAG, Sgt Ronald Francis Butler 426529 Missing aged 20 years
WOAG, Sgt Gordon George Sexton 426692 aged 19 years was buried in Sale War Cemetery.

05/10/2024

On the 5th October 1943 Beaufort A9-33 from No 1 OTU East Sale was about to land when it appeared to resume flight. The port engine failed and the aircraft swung to port, then banked sharply. The pilot was unable to recover and the port wing struck the ground. This caused the aircraft to cart wheel and burst into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and both crew were killed.
Instructor, F/Lt Frank Keith Morcombe DFC 406572 aged 30 years
Pupil pilot, Sgt James Whamond Cameron 437116 aged 28 years
Both are buried in the Sale War Cemetery

03/10/2024

On the 4th October 1943 Avro Anson W2039 from 67 (GR) Squadron. After taking off from Mallacoota they did some bombing practice on a sea target. On return they flew passed the Gipsy Point Hotel several times at about 200 feet before the aircraft turned and stalled. It then dived steeply into about 20 feet of water, 1/2 mile down stream of Gipsy Point near Mallacoota.
F/Sgt Francis Mervyn Howship 410336 aged 22 years
PO Kevin Pierre Murphy 417410 aged 21 years
F/Sgt Bruce Fawkner Dufty 409097 aged 21 years
LAC Harold Ernest Ball 54166 aged 30 years
All crew were killed and are buried in the Bairnsdale War Cemetery.

02/10/2024

On the 3rd October 1942 Fairey Battle L5704 from No.1 OTU Bairnsdale forced landed after engine trouble approximately 3 miles north of Bairnsdale aerodrome The pilot Sgt. John Charles Bates 409495 was uninjured. Tragically on the 10th October 1944 Sgt Bates was killed in Kittyhawk A29-432 at Misool Is. NEI. His life is commemorated on column 9 at the Ambon Memorial, Ambon War Cemetery, Amboina NEI.

02/10/2024

On the 2nd October 1942 the third accident for the day for No 1 OTU Bairnsdale involved Beaufort A9-49. It took off on a operational training exercise to seaward. It proceeded on a dead reckoning exercise DR9 that required to carry out a dummy bomb attack with the use of Air to Surface Vessel on the Hogan Group of Islands. The exercise required all aircraft, after dropping a flare on an island to send a signal back to base. No signal was received from Beaufort A9-49. The next morning eight Airspeed Oxfords and three Beauforts’s searched the area . There was nothing heard or any trace of any kind found of A9-49 again.
On the 27th July 1943 the crew were officially presumed to have lost their lives.
Pilot, Sgt Peter Kirk Crombie 408972 aged 20 years
Observer, Sgt Peter Cribb 405348 aged 20 years
Wag, Sgt Bruce Wellesley Morrow 411039 aged 20 years
WAG, Sgt Alfred John Carl 405540 aged 21 years