Die 20 neuesten Einträge:
| Flugzeugtyp | Kennung | Absturzdatum | Absturzort | Herkunftsland | KIA | MIA | POW |
| B 29 | 42-24875 | 10. März 1945 | Pacific Ocean | USA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: Before dawn on 10 March 1945, 279 of 325 B-29’s dispatched from the XXI BC, 73rd, 313th and 314th BW’s attack Tokyo urban areas with 1,665 tons of incendiary bombs from between 4,900ft and 9,200ft. Twenty other B-29’s attack alternate targets. Fifteen square miles of the Tokyo urban area is burned out; 267,171 buildings are destroyed, estimated 83,793 Japanese are killed and 40,918 wounded. Fourteen B-29’s are lost. On of them was 42-24875 of 9th BG that ditched on the way back, the whole crew being rescued.AIR SEA RESCUE REPORT NO. 6 of 9th BG Interrogation of Survivors from Ditched Aircraft No.B-29 A/C - 42-24875 1. Wing 313th: Group 9th Squadron 1st 2. Mission No. Tokyo 4 Date 10 March 1945 3. Cause of Ditching: Primary cause - adverse headwinds, Secondary cause - lack of fuel. 4. Time: location: 1155K, 17-40 N 145-42 E 5. Crew (all rescued): 1. Pilot M. W. Hardgrave lst Lt. 2. CP E. P. Deutsch 2nd Lt. 3. N Donald Reed 2nd Lt. 4. B Wm. V. Brabham Jr. 2nd Lt. 5. RO Robert W. Driscoll S/Sgt. 6. FE John Schoonmaker S/Sgt. 7. RG Elroy C. Albrecht Sgt. 8. LG Wm. T. Cocke Sgt. 9. TG Richard T. Gilman Sgt. 10. CFC David C. Nesmith M/Sgt. 11. Radar Op. Thomas A. Cero Cpl. 6. Narrative Report. a. Prior to Ditching: The return flight from the target was made in the weather at an altitude of 8000 feet. At 0945, 10 minutes before the ETA a let down was made to 1000 feet but the home base was not in sight. A drift reading was taken and the ETA changed to 10:16. At 11:30 Pagan was sighted and it became apparent that home base could not be reached and emergency radio procedure in CW on 7310 KC was instituted. The emergency IFF was turned on about 40 to 45 minutes before ditching and then an attempt was made to raise the Mine Sweeper “Bering Strait” on VHF and on 4475 KC but neither of these attempts were successful. Metro was used for obtaining ground speed but apparently stronger head winds were encountered while in the weather. The crew was ordered to prepare for ditching and the radio operator sent QUG’s to the ground station. b. Preparation for Ditching: All loose personal equipment both fore and aft was stowed in the bomb bay, along with items such as flak suits, fire extinguishers, and bomb sight. This equipment was then dropped but emergency procedures had to be used to close the rear bomb bay doors. The emergency escape hatches from the engineers compartment and the tail gunners compartment were jettisoned while the hatch in the rear compartment was opened. The astrodome was removed with difficulty. Ditching braces were installed. The remaining gasoline supply of approximately 100 gallons was transferred from #2 - 3 engines to #1 and 4. When #2 and 3 engines ran out of fuel the props were feathered. c. Ditching: The ditching took place at 11:55 when the airplane had been in the air for 17 hours and 30 minutes. The pilot and co-pilot used shoulder braces and safety belt, the engineer was in his seat, safety belt fastened, the bombardier took his position beside the engineer. The navigator folded his desk and took position on the floor facing aft. The radio operator sat in his position with his safety belt fastened, and his head on the table, padded and braced for the impact. The right gunner was in the unpressurized compartment, used his chute for back and head support and sat against the E5 sustenance kit which had been placed against the bulkhead door. He padded his back and head and braced his feet against the camera frame. The left gunner took his ditching position in the unpressurized section on the right side of the airplane and sat on an E5 kit with his back against the bulkhead. His back and head were padded and his foot braced against the camera frame. The radar operator sat on an E5 kit on the left side of the fuselage in the unpressurized compartment with his arm against the escape hatch. The tail gunner was in his seat back and head padded. The CFC man sat on lower forward turret with back padded and braced on upper forward turret with feet against the bulkhead door. The airplane was ditched cross wind, along the swell with full flaps at 95 MPH. It went straight in without any side deceleration. It was not known if the airplane landed on a swell or trough but the angle of impact was about 5 degrees. The tail hit the water first and the nose mushed in. Almost immediately water was shoulder depth and it appeared to come from the tunnel, lower forward turret and engineers hatch. The aft pressurized compartment was filled with water. The nose section did not break but the fuselage broke 3 to 4 feet behind the blister. The putt-putt was not displaced. The underneath skin was severely broken but the top skin wasn’t broken until a few minutes after impact when the airplane settled. The tail fell off and sank in about 15 minutes and the nose sank 25 minutes after ditching. The flaps were in shreds. d. Escape: The pilot and co-pilot escaped through their escape hatches, navigator through the astrodome, bombardier through the engineers hatch, radio operator, engineer, and CFC gunner through the astrodome, radar operator and right and left gunners through the rear unpressurized escape hatch; and the tail gunner escaped through his hatch. Upon leaving the airplane each crew member inflated his Mae West, two of which failed to operate properly when only half the vest inflated properly. The life raft handles were pulled from the inside and they inflated properly. The tail gunner used his C2 raft to join the multiplace (A-3) raft. Five men occupied one raft and six were in the other. The two (A-3) rafts and the C2 raft were then tied together. The Gibson Girl Radio as well as the E5 kits were not removed from the airplane. Seven men wore canteens on their belts and reported no hindrance to escape. Five men had the C1 vest on and complained of the weight after the vest became wet. e. Weather: Visibility was very restricted. The airplane flew a heading of 180 degrees while the wind was 8 to 10 knots from 90 degrees. The height of swell was 10 feet. f. Survival: When in the raft the Radar Corner Reflector was installed and a sea anchor put out. Everyone became sea sick after they had been in the raft a few minutes. At 16:30 the survivors were sighted by a PBM search aircraft and signaling mirrors and dye marker was used by those in the raft to maintain contact with the PBM. Later the PBM dropped a raft, sustenance kit, cigarettes and a can bearing the ETA of the Seaplane Tender “Bering Strait” all within 10 feet of the raft. g. Rescue: The PBM dumbo picked up the Radar Corner Reflector on its scope from 10 miles at an altitude of 800 to 1000 feet. The “Bering Strait” picked up the reflector on its scope at 5 miles. First contact was made with those in the raft at 16:30 by the PBM. Rescue was affected at 21:15 by the “Bering Strait,” and contact was maintained after dark by use of flares. h. Crew Recommendations: l. Pack sustenance kits in life raft if possible. 2. Thorough preflight of Mae West. 3. Gibson Girl Radio should be attached to the raft. 4. Sustenance vests are too bulky. 5. First aid kits were lost at time of impact. 6. Sustenance kits (E-5) are too heavy. 7. Difficulty of inflating seats in raft. 8. All crew members should know how to assemble Radar Corner Reflector. 9. More water needed in sustenance kits. Source: http://www.9thbombgrouphistory.org/Chapters/Chapter_15%20Postscrip.pdf http://home.att.net/~sallyann6/b29/56years-4503a.html http://www.mapquest.com/maps?l=17.6667&g=145.700 |
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| Halifax I | L9489 | 10. März 1941 | Normandy, Surrey, England | England | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The first operational flight for the new Halifax four-engined bomber came on the night of 10-11 March 1941. Six aircraft of 35 Sqn RAF, L9486, L9488, L9489, L9490, L9493 and L9496, joined eight Blenheim to attack Le Havre in the evening of the 10th. At the same time, Portsmouth came under heavy attack from the Luftwaffe in what was one of the largest bombing raids on the UK for several months. At the time the Halifax was still on the official secret list and its shape was somewhat similar to that of a German bomber.So when a British night fighter spotted one of the returning bombers, Halifax I L9489 TL-F, it failed to recognise it as British, and shot it down, killing four of the crew of six. The bomber crashed at 2240 hrs at Normandy, a small village on the Hampshire/Surrey border between Aldershot and Guildford. Crew. Sqn Ldr Peter Alex Gilchrist DFC (pilot) survived Sgt Reginald Lucas (second pilot) killed Sgt Ron G Aedy (flight engineer) injured P/O Edward Rolfe Arnold (observer) killed Sgt Stanley Broadhurst (wireless operator/air gunner) killed F/O Albert Edward Cooper (rear gunner) killed ______________________________________________ The night a crew’s home thoughts were shot out of the sky July 31, 1998 The crew was more relaxed now, though still alert. As they approached the skies over Surrey, the thoughts of flight engineer Ron Aedy were probably on Kingston upon Thames, where he was born. Teddy Arnold, the observer, may have glanced down and wondered about his family in Leatherhead, where he was brought up. Wireless operator/air gunner Stan Broadhurst was another member of the crew with links with Surrey. He had been at school at Witley. Peter "Alex" Gilchrist, F-Freddie’s skipper, having handed over control of the aircraft to second pilot Reg Lucas, was enjoying a flask of coffee. The mission to Le Havre was accomplished. Soon they would be landing at their home base. Suddenly, a devastating burst of gunfire set the starboard outer engine of the Halifax on fire. Soon the fire spread to the inner engine, engulfing the wing. The aircraft was doomed. Gilchrist ordered the aircraft to be abandoned. It crashed in Mintyís field in the grounds of Merrist Wood Agricultural College. On that night of March 10, 1941, only two of the crew of six survived. The tragedy of it all was that F-Freddie, on its first operational sortie, was not shot down by an enemy aircraft but by one of our own, possibly an RAF night fighter which had mistaken the Halifax for a Luftwaffe Heinkel 111 or Junkers 88. The incident, blandly recorded in Sqd Ldr Gilchrist’s log as: Shot down by night fighter (RAF) Aldershot-Guildford area. Sgt Aedy wounded, crew killed. A rather sad beginning has inspired retired headmaster Dennis Hoppe, who lives near Farnham, to write a book about the incident, about those who survived and those who were killed. It is a superbly researched story of a tragic accident, one of many during the Second World War, in which airmen died as the result of what became known as friendly fire. It is available from the author price £4.50 including postage. Dennis Hoppe is donating £1 for every sale to the RAF Benevolent Fund. Write to him at 2 Jubilee Lane, Wreccle-sham, Surrey GU10 4SZ. In the attack on F-Freddie, Sgt Aedy was severely wounded by shrapnel. Having given the order to abandon the aircraft, Sqd Ldr Gilchrist left through the escape hatch above the pilot’s seat. At the same time, the injured Aedy was assisted by his fellow crew members and bundled out of the main fuselage door, ensuring his ripcord was pulled as he left. In doing so, second pilot Sgt Lucas, observer Pilot Officer Arnold, wireless operator/air gunner Sgt Broadhurst and rear gunner Sgt Cooper left it too late to save themselves and sacrificed their lives to save their crew mate. F-Freddie hit the ground in a corner of Minty’s Field in Normandy at 10.40pm. Peter Gilchrist landed in a field of cattle, opposite the Duke of Normandy pub, about a quarter of a mile from the crash site. Ron Aedy’s cries for help brought rescuers to him and he was soon in hospital in Guildford. Reg Lucas was critically injured in the crash and died in Guildford Hospital the next day. His three companions perished in the crash. The port inner engine and much of the forward section of L9489 remained in the ground until unearthed 55 years later by Croydon Aviation Archaeology Society. Today a commemorative plaque can be seen on the spot between the 14th and 15th fairways of Merrist Wood Golf Club where the plane crashed. Poppies are laid here every year on Armistice Day. Source: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-cemeteries-war-memorial-research/17703-second-world-war-memorial-mansfield-woodhouse-where-start-researching.html http://www.merristwood-golfclub.co.uk/showpage.asp?p=438 http://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/s/81545_the_night_a_crews_home_thoughts_were_shot_out_of_the_sky http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/hphalifax/history.htm http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2703066 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2434974 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2703086 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2734363 http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Normandy%20Guildford |
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| Halifax I | L9487 | 13. Januar 1941 | Baldersby St James, Yorkshire, England | England | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: Halifax I L9487 at Baldersby St James, ThirskThis incident was the first Halifax accident in Yorkshire and there would be well over 1000 Halifaxs to crash in the County with all too many fatalities. In the course of these webpages I intend to detail each and everyone in tribute and respect of the young men, and a handful of women, who lost their lives in the Halifax type. The Lancaster took much of the glory for Bomber Command but it was the Halifax that was the RAF’s main work-horse and the type most widely used bomber in Yorkshire. Ironically the last Halifax accident to occur in Yorkshire was at Baldersby, less than a mile from this, the first. Halifax L9487’s loss was almost certainly the first of many thousand fatal Halifax flying accidents. An AIB investigation was carried out following the accident, although rare this is understandable, it was found during my research in the National Archives and has been drawn upon for compiling this webpage. As will eventually be seen on this website, not all Halifax accidents are covered in as much detail and very little being known about a great number of these accidents. On the 13th of January 1941 this brand-new aircraft was being given a fuel consumption test and carried a mixed crew but all were opertaionally experienced and qualified to carry out the test. They were to carry out the test at 12,000ft at which they were to cruise at that height for an hour and measure the fuel consumption. The aircraft took off from Linton on Ouse at 11.20hrs and climbed away. About half an hour later the aircraft was seen near Dishforth at around 3,000ft with the port undercarriage down and a trail of vapour behind the port side of the aircraft. One of the port engines was also seen not to be working. The vapour then ignited (probably as a result of being ignited by an engine exhaust flame) and a large fire was seen on the port side of the aircraft after which the aircraft entered a steep dive before crashing from 2,500ft near Baldersby St. James, between Thirsk and Dishforth at 11.53hrs. All the airmen on board were sadly killed instantly. The fire was thought to have burnt away the aircrafts tail control surfaces making the aircraft become uncontrollable. The crew were found to have all been wearing their parachutes and all were probably preparing to bale out when the aircraft entered the spiralling dive and as a result they were unable to get out. The cause of the fire was blamed on the failure of groundcrew at Linton on Ouse to put the fuel-filler cap back on one of the port fuel tanks after it had been refuelled. The vapour seen behind the port wing would also certainly have been fuel, which, by the time it ignited had soaked into the tail section of the aircraft. Also of note is that the port outer engine had been suffering trouble since its delivery. It suffered a coolant leak on 3rd December 1940 which resulted in a new radiator being fitted and then the same engine showed low oil pressure, it was run-up on 24th December 1940 and a new oil relief valve had to be fitted. Following the crash all the engines were removed and taken away for inspection and this engine was found to have suffered an oil shortage in the air prior to the crash, part of the crankshaft had broken causing the failure of the engine. Further investigation of other early Halifax’s found that this was a design problem with early Halifax’s. When full of fuel and in a tail-down position the oil pumps on the outer engines were above the oil level. This oil system was later changed to stop the problem re-occuring. Why the undercarriage had droppped or been lowered is not known. 35 Squadron were the first unit to became operational with the Halifax and they flew their first operational flight on 10th March 1941 to Le Havre. On this raid they lost the first Halifax in an operational flight when L9489 was shot down by friendly fire by a British night-fighter having mis-identified it over Southern England. Four of the crew were sadly killed. Halifax L9487 was built by Handley Page Ltd and first flown from Radlett on 25th November 1940, it was delivered to the RAF at 24 MU the following day and then to 35 Squadron on 4th January 1941. Its total flying time upto the crash was only four hours. Crew (all killed): Pilot - F/Lt Michael T G Henry RAF DFC (39876), aged 28, of Compton Chamberlayne, Wiltshire. Buried Roecliffe Churchyard, Boroughbridge, Yorkshire. 2nd Pilot - P/O Leslie J McDonald RAFVR (79513), aged 23, of Karori, Wellington, New Zealand. Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire. Obs - Sgt John N Hall RAFVR (743002), aged ? Of ? Buried Stoke (St. Michael) Cemetery, Warwickshire. WOp/AG - Sgt Anthony C H R Russell RAF (904441), aged 22, of ? Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire. WOp/AG - Sgt William C B "Laddie" Jesse RAF DFM (633777), aged 22, of Dublin, Irish Republic. Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire. F Eng - Sgt Francis L Plowman RAF (567918), aged 21, of ? Buried Dishforth Cemetery, Yorkshire. Source: http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/yorkshire/york41/l9487.html http://horowhenua.kete.net.nz/documents/0000/0000/1061/McDonald_Leslie_Joseph_For_your_Tomorrow.pdf http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=54.18687,-1.44201&spn=0.1,0.1&t=m&q=54.18687,-1.44201 |
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| Stirling III | LJ509 | 10. März 1944 | Brazey-en-Plaine, Cote d’Or, France | England | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The Stirling III LJ509 WP-F of 90 Sqn RAF took off at 2012 hrs in the evening of 10 March 1944 from Tuddenham and headed for a DZ in Haute Savoie, French Alps, carrying 15 containers for the French Maquis (partisans). It was shot down at 2325 hrs by a night-fighter flown by Ofw Meier of 4./NJG4 (who claimed a Striling shot down at 2323 hrs 1 km northeast of Brazey, at 2.300 m) and crashed near Champcorbeau farm, at Brazey-en-Plaine (Cote d’Or), 24 km SW of Dijon. Six crew were killed and are buried in Brazey-en-Plaine communal cemetery. The only survivor, the navigator, bailed out, evaded capture and came back in England via Spain on 6 May 1944. He survived the war.Crew: Sqn Ldr Terence Sydney Raymond King, MiD, pilot, aged 33. KIA Sgt Desmond Norman Murphy, flight engineer, aged 19. KIA Flt Sgt William Frederick Williams, air bomber. KIA Flt Sgt Thomas Christopher Squance, navigator. Evaded capture Sgt Frederick Joseph Huxen, wireless operator/air gunner. KIA Plt Off Joseph Armstrong, air gunner, aged 28, KIA Flt Sgt Leslie Arthur Bolt, air gunner, aged 20. KIA Source: http://www.ww1cemeteries.com/ww2_cemeteries/brazey_en_plaine_cc.htm http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=6380 http://www.histavia21.net/HISTAV2/COTDOR1944.htm http://www.cieldegloire.com/njg_004.php#victoires1944 http://www.maplandia.com/france/bourgogne/cote-dor/beaune/brazey-en-plaine/ |
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| P 40 E | 41-5526 | 10. März 1942 | Aberfeldy, Victoria, Australia | USA | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: Captain Joseph Potter McLaughlin 0396289U.S.A.A.C. United States Army Air Corps Died in crash of P- 40E Warhawk 41-5526 10th March 1942 Aberfeldy Victoria Joseph was born 27th October 1916 in Montana USA. He was the third oldest of five children. His older brother Robert joined the Canadian Air Force to get into the war because he was impatient to see action as the US did not come into the war until 1941. In 1942 because he was a US civilian he was transferred to the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He was killed by a German sniper trying to save his radio operator on the 8th June 1944 after D-Day. Robert knew of Joe going missing before he was killed. Joe’s family was only ever told that he was "Missing in the South Eastern Theatre”. Joe had two other aircraft accidents in training before being sent to the 20th Pursuit Squadron at Clark Field Philippines in 1941. Joe’s Commanding Officer with the 20th Pursuit was Lt. Joseph Moore. Lt. Moore shot down two Japanese Zero aircraft over Clark Field only a short time after Pearl Harbour was attacked. Lt. Joseph Moore later climbed to the rank of Lieutenant General and attended the Full Military Funeral of Capt. McLaughlin on the 10 April 2006 at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC. Lt. Joseph McLaughlin was one of seventeen pilots sent to Australia to take new P-40 aircraft back to the Philippines, but in the meantime the islands between Australia and the Philippines became occupied by Japanese forces. Joe arrived in Australia on the 15th January 1942 after riding in the bomb bay of the Boeing B-18 bomber transferring fuel from 44 gallon drums strapped in there. He was transferred to the 4th Air Depot Group at Laverton under his new rank of Captain and arrived on the 5th March. On the 9th March he was sent to Canberra and stayed overnight. The next morning at 8am he took off from RAAF Station Canberra without filing a flight plan. He was last spotted by the VOAC (Volunteer Air Observer Corps) at 10am heading in a north easterly direction in stormy weather. Capt. McLaughlin’s P-40 was found on the last day of 1948 by a man walking his dog following a fishing party at the Aberfeldy Bridge. His dog had found the aircraft over the side of the mountain and was digging up human remains. The crash was reported to police and RAAF authorities. The remains were sent to RAAF East Sale and transferred to Fort Saftner Hawaii in 1949 as no Australian pilots were listed as missing in the area. Because no one saw the aircraft crash, and no identification was found at the time, the remains were buried as unknown. The remains were buried in Punchbowl National Cemetery in Hawaii. McLaughlin’s watch was recovered from the wreckage by one of the locals in the 1950’s. It had stopped at approximately 10.30am. Another local recovered McLaughlin’s engraved revolver. I first visited the crash site with a friend over thirty years ago. At that time there was a large amount of the P¬40 still at the site. In the late 1970’s most of the remains of the aircraft were taken away for scrap metal. I was interested in aircraft and returned to the site several times to see if I could find what type of aircraft it was. I found out from some people that it was a US aircraft but no one knew who the pilot was. Over the next several years I wrote handwritten letters to Australian and US authorities. They could not give an answer as I did not have a date, name or aircraft number. In the early 90’s I heard that a person had the pilot’s watch. In 1996 I finally found the person in Moe with the watch. This gave me the name I needed to get documents from the US on the pilot. Over the next couple of years of frustration because of being transferred from one department to another, I finally got the documents I needed. They stated that he was still listed as MIA "Missing in Action." By this time the internet became available and I was able to research and get in direct contact with people around the world. I managed to get in contact with one of Joe McLaughlin’s friends in the Philippines with the 20th Pursuit. Through him I then learned Joe had two other aircraft accidents in training before being sent to the 20th Pursuit Squadron at Clark Field Philippines in 1941. Joe’s Commanding Officer with the 20th Pursuit was Lt. Joseph Moore. Lt. Moore shot down two Japanese Zero aircraft over Clark Field only a short time after Pearl Harbour was attacked. Lt. Joseph Moore later climbed to the rank of Lieutenant General and attended the Full Military Funeral of Capt. McLaughlin on the 10"’ April 2006 at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington DC. In 2003 the US Army sent two people to Australia from JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command) Hawaii. We went to the site to evaluate it and spent a day going over mistakes in the files. A decision was made to excavate the site in the future, but this was brought forward because of the age of Lt. General Moore. On the 10th March 2004 a team of eight from JPAC spent eight days at the site. They found Capt. McLaughlin’s uniform wings and other pieces of interest. On the 8th October 2006 his remains were disinterred from the unknown grave in Hawaii to establish DNA. The family was finally contacted about 12 months later and they made a decision to have Joe buried at Arlington. I was honoured to attend the funeral on the 10th April 2006 at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC with family members and 92 year-old Lt. General Joseph Moore. He had a full Military funeral with a flypast of F-16 jets. The international airport was closed for five minutes so the aircraft could fly over the Pentagon and funeral. His casket was carried from the chapel by caisson (a Civil War armoured gun carriage) with four black horses to section D on the area opposite the Pentagon. It was also an honour to spend three days with General Moore in Washington DC. Sadly Lt. General Moore passed away from lung cancer in December 2006. While I was with General Moore and family in DC he said that it’s no wonder that he ended up with lung cancer, because he was always stuck in smoke-filled rooms with General MacArthur and other people during his military life. In 2007 I revisited Capt. McLaughlin’s grave site at Arlington on the 11th September 2007 and the anniversary of 9/11. I did this for General Moore as he asked me in 2002 "When do you think you will have accomplished your mission?" and I said "When I am standing next to his headstone with his name on it." Lt. Gen. Moore said to me "This will be your final mission and you must complete it." A permanent display is dedicated to Capt. McLaughlin at the Gippsland Armed Forces Museum in Sale. Also on display is a lot of my research into the 253 WW2 aircraft accidents in Gippsland and interstate. At the museum and home I have a file for all 197 aircrew killed in Gippsland from 1942 to 1945. The Gippsland Armed Forces Museum is located at Punt Lane, Sale. Tel: 035144 It is open Monday to Friday 10.00 a.m.to 4.00 pm - Other times by appointment. Admission Adults: $2.00 Children: $1.00 There is an excellent introduction to the Museum on the Internet at: http://www.salecommunity.com/ArmedForcesMuseum.html ____________________________________________________________ FROM: - F/L G.C. McGILVRAY TO : Commanding Officer R.A.A.F. Station East Sale. DATE : 1JAN.49 REF INVESTIGATION OF REPORT OF CRASHED AIRCRAFT. 1. Accompanied by F/L W.R. FITTER and Cpl. HIRST E. I visited the scene of the reported aircraft crash near WALHALLA. The crash occured about 200 ft. from the top of a high unnamed peak (estimated height 2500’) which rises from the south side of the A’BERFELDIE River valley at the A’BERFELDIE RIVER BRIDGE. 2. On inspection the aircraft was found to be a P40-E "KITTYHAWK". It was equipped with six BROWNING .5 Machine guns and carried an apparent full load of ammunition, A belly tank Part No. 75-45-433-50 Order No. W535 AC15802 Capacity 52 U.S. Galls. had been attached and was found about 15 yards from the crash. The tank showed no indication of fire although badly crushed and is presumed to have been empty. 3. From the position of the wreckage on the Southern side of the peak it is considered that the aircraft struck the ground heading in a N.E. direction, and was in a steep dive of about 45 degrees at the time of impact, at not an excessive speed, and with some power on. This opinion is based on the fact that the aircraft concertined on striking the ground burying the nose to a depth of only about four feet in loosely matted earth and sandstone rock - very little wreckage being scattered more than a few yards from the point of impact. One airscrew blade was visible and had a slight forward bend and was still attached to the boss on the engine. Fire had broken out but had been confined to the centre section and engine. All ammunition on the port side had been exploded but most of the starboard side was intact. No salvage of value is possible. 4. The few remaining bones of the pilot were removed from the ash, no identity discs were found but are possibly still in the ash which could not be thoroughly sieved owing to the heavy rain during the investigation. Several part plates were removed from various parts of the aircraft and are attached. The engine specifaction plate bearing the following numbers Air Corps or Bureau Model V-1710-39, Air Corps or Bureau No. AC41-36209, and Manufacturers No. 5842 was found in the ash of the centre section. 5. All live ammunition was buried and the Pilot’s remains taken to R.A.A.F Station East Sale. The certificate of Burial is also attached. 6. A sketch showing the position of the wreckage is also attached. 7. The wreckage was originally discovered on 29Dec.48 by Mr. Daniel Vere FINLAY of 47 Belmont Rd. IVANHOE and reported to 1st. Constable HABERNAN J. of ERICA Police. The investigating party also included inspector ALLEN of WARRAGUL, 1st Constable COCKERELL C. and Constable GREGG, Mr T.H. BROWN Justice of the Peace of GOULD and members of a fishing party on the ABERFELDIE River. Excellent co-operation and assistance was received from all concerned is particular from 1st. Constable HABERNAN, his knowledge of the country being invaluable. G.C. McGilvray F/L. Source: http://www.gardencentre.com.au/traralgonhistory/tdhsbulletin0908.pdf http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/vic77.htm http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Aberfeldy%20Victoria |
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| Spitfire IIa | P7299 | 26. Februar 1942 | Portreath, Cornwall, England | England | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The Supermarine Spitfire IIa P7299 of 66 Squadron at RAF Portreath was struck while parked by another Spitfire and was written-off.Aircraft history: P7299 IIa CBAF MXII 6MU 30-6-40 612S 27-8-40 41S 25-10-40 54S 22-2-41 234S 3-7-41 19S ’QV-Y’ 21-8-41 8MU 15-11-41 Cv V 66S 10-2-42 struck by P7304 while parked Porthreath CE 26-2-42 Source: http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/crash_log/crashlog42.html http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p003.htm http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=Portreath |
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| Blenheim IVF | T1942 | 24. Februar 1941 | St Eval, Cornwall, England | England | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The Blenheim IVf T1942 ND-J of 236 Squadron RAF took off at 0950 hrs from St Eval for a Bust Patrol (between Boulogne and Ushant) and saw two German destroyers north of Cape Vierge. On return an engine cut causing the aircraft to overshoot the airfield, lose height and crash-land at 1200 hrs. The three crew (P/O Watters, Sgts Philip and Lawrence) all suffered from bruising and shock. The Blenheim was wrecked.Source: http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/crash_log/crashlog41.html "Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, vol 1: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941", by Ross McNeill. ISBN 1-85780-128-8 http://www.maplandia.com/united-kingdom/england/south-west/cornwall-county/saint-eval/ |
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| Ar 196 A-2 | 129 | 08. Februar 1941 | English Channel | Deutschland | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: On 8 February 1941 two Whirlwind of 263 Sqn RAF (F/O Hughes and Sgt Rudland, forming the Blue Section) took off at 0940 hrs from Exeter for a practive flight but less than an half hour later they were vectored onto an enemy aircraft (Raid 139). 12 miles south of Start Point an Ar 196 was intercepted by Sgt Rudland who chased it and was ready to attack when he saw British colors on the aircraft. He stopped the attack and the aircraft flew into clouds. It then flew close to F/O Hughes who gave it a 5 second burst with no observed results.Two other Whirlwinds had scrambled to chase this raid at 0906 hrs, flown by Flt Lt Crooks and Plt Off Kenneth Alfred George Graham. They were orbiting south of Dodman Point when Crooks lost view of Graham as they were respectively ordered to patrol above and under the clouds. Two minutes later he saw a float plane crash into the sea. Graham did not return and a coastguard reported that two aircraft had crashed into the sea 3 miles south of Dodman Point, the first in flames. Plt Off Graham was credited with the destruction of an Arado 196 but was lost with its whirlwind I P6969. It is possible that he collided in clouds with the German aircraft, the Ar 196 A-2 WNr 129 6W+ON of 5./196. Both crew, Oblt Adolf Berger (pilot and Staffelkapitän) and Lt zur See Hans-Erich Hirtz (observer), were lost. Source: http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/crash_log/crashlog41.html http://homepage.ntlworld.com/laurieburley/jeff/pdfs/air271547f541.pdf Article on the Arado 196 in 1941 by Michel Ledet and Christophe Cony, in Avions n° 139 (French magazine, October 2004) "1941 the turning point. Part 1", by John Foreman, ISBN 1-871187-22-2 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1798652 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodman_Point http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.219,-4.803&spn=0.3,0.3&t=m&q=50.219,-4.803 |
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| Whirlwind I | P6969 | 08. Februar 1941 | English Channel | England | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: On 8 February 1941 two Whirlwind of 263 Sqn RAF (F/O Hughes and Sgt Rudland, forming the Blue Section) took off at 0940 hrs from Exeter for a practive flight but less than an half hour later they were vectored onto an enemy aircraft (Raid 139). 12 miles south of Start Point an Ar 196 was intercepted by Sgt Rudland who chased it and was ready to attack when he saw British colors on the aircraft. He stopped the attack and the aircraft flew into clouds. It then flew close to F/O Hughes who gave it a 5 second burst with no observed results.Two other Whirlwinds had scrambled to chase this raid at 0906 hrs, flown by Flt Lt Crooks and Plt Off Kenneth Alfred George Graham. They were orbiting south of Dodman Point when Crooks lost view of Graham as they were respectively ordered to patrol above and under the clouds. Two minutes later he saw a float plane crash into the sea. Graham did not return and a coastguard reported that two aircraft had crashed into the sea 3 miles south of Dodman Point, the first in flames. Plt Off Graham was credited with the destruction of an Arado 196 but was lost with its whirlwind I P6969. It is possible that he collided in clouds with the German aircraft, the Ar 196 A-2 WNr 129 6W+ON of 5./196. Both crew, Oblt Adolf Berger (pilot and Staffelkapitän) and Lt zur See Hans-Erich Hirtz (observer), were lost. Source: http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/crash_log/crashlog41.html http://homepage.ntlworld.com/laurieburley/jeff/pdfs/air271547f541.pdf Article on the Arado 196 in 1941 by Michel Ledet and Christophe Cony, in Avions n° 139 (French magazine, October 2004) "1941 the turning point. Part 1", by John Foreman, ISBN 1-871187-22-2 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1798652 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodman_Point http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.219,-4.803&spn=0.3,0.3&t=m&q=50.219,-4.803 |
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| Anson I | K8746 | 06. Februar 1940 | Celtic Sea | England | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The Avro Anson I K8746 MW-O of 217 Squadron RAF took off from St Eval at 0740 hrs on 6 February 1940 to escort the convoy OBM85G. During this patrol control was lost in a turn at 1120 hrs and it dived into the sea off Bishop’s Rock. There was only one survivor from the crew of four, who was rescued by the destroyer HMS Vimy.Crew: Flg Off John Arthur Charles White (from Ontario, Canada) - killed Plt Off Arthur Hugh Moncrieff Wright (from Wellington, New Zealand) - killed LAC 528828 Herbert James Noel Marsden RAF - killed ? - unknown survivor Source: http://www.rafdavidstowmoor.org/pages/crash_log/crashlog40.html http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=2058 "Royal Air Force Coastal Command Losses of the Second World War, vol 1: Aircraft and Crew Losses 1939-1941", by Ross McNeill. ISBN 1-85780-128-8 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1531406 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1532131 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_Rock,_Isles_of_Scilly http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=49.873333,-6.444722&spn=0.01,0.01&t=m&q=49.873333,-6.444722 |
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| SBD-5 Dauntless | Buno 36338 | 15. Februar 1945 | Three Queens Mountain, Washington, USA | USA | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Bureau Number 36338USN CASU-7 Crashed February 15, 1945 Crew (both killed): Pilot Ensign Matthew Richard McFarland Passenger Lt. Jessie Raymond Battenfield Mission History Took off from the NAS Seattle, on a training mission and failed to return. In fact, it crashed on Three Queens Mountain on the south slope. Discovery This aircraft was discovered in the Wenatchee National Forest in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. MIA Investigations This site is the focus of a JPAC MIA investigation at the end of August 2004. A recovery team deployed in mid July 2005 to preform a complete recovery of the remains of the pilot, along with the crash site of P-38E 41-2276 also in Washington State. This is the first Joint Field Activity mission in the continental United States since 1996. __________________________________________________ 60 Years Later, Military Is Giving Remains a Proper Burial By KOMO & KIMA News Staffs (TV stations in Yakima & Seattle) Kittitas County - Deep into the Cascades at the end of a forest service road high above Cle Elum, a group of military experts start their daily and grueling 2 hour climb on foot. On a tight military budget, it’s the only way to reach what’s left of a Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber. On Feb. 15,1945, it carried Ensign Matthew McFarland and Lt. Jesse Battenfeld to their deaths as they vanished on a routine flight from Sand Point Naval Air Station. The wreckage was found 7-months later but 60 years later the wreckage and the remains of the two men are still there. So for the first time in Washington state, the same military teams that bring MIA remains home from Cambodia and Vietnam are in Cle Elum to bring these men home too. "My father was in the military for 23 years, in the Army, in the infantry," said William Belcher, PhD., the lead forensic anthropologist on this JPAC (Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command) Team. "It helps me sort of pay back the debt I have to him and his generation." "Because if it was me I would want somebody to do it for me," said Maj. Charles Gatling, the ground commander for this mission. "And so that’s the torch I carry when I go up the hill. If I was up there I would want somebody to go up and get me." Way Up On A Steep Slope The remnants of the plane rest at roughly 5,700 feet on a steep 40-degree slope. JPAC teams first surveyed the site last year but they weren’t the first to find it. Bits of hacksaw blades and 1950’s era cans of Liquid Wrench litter the site. Scavengers have taken portions of the fuselage and presumably the surviving gauges and cockpit instrumentation -- salvage that the Navy says is illegal. But of most interest to the JPAC team is a gravesite about 75 feet away from the crash. When the plane was first discovered seven months after it went down, the remains and personal effects of the two men were placed in a small grave. Their names were hand-engraved on the flat surface of a boulder, a cross was carved in the base of a large tree, and two stainless steel crosses with names engraved on them were placed at the gravesite too. "This is a beautiful area and this is technically a grave, but I think it was always meant to be a temporary grave," said Belcher. "I think the right thing to do is to recover these guys, ID them positively or as well as we can, and then bury them in a place of honor." Military Connection In the first few minutes of the archeological dig of the grave and the airplane debris field, the team uncovered the first connection to McFarland and Battenfeld. Sifting the soil through screens, they found a religious medallion: a Catholic St. Benedict medal buried with the two men those 60 years ago. "If it wasn’t for them, there’d be no us," Gatling explained of the military connection between himself and the two men he was searching for. "That’s how it works." And to help on this dig, Army Reservists from the 737th Transportation Company in Yakima volunteered. They returned from a year in Iraq just this past February. "It needs to be done, " said Capt. Gilbert Moxley. "This is a noble cause and we’re more than happy to volunteer our time and come out here and lend a hand." They lend that hand knowing that even if 60 years goes by, another soldier in uniform will do his or her best to make sure no one is left behind. "The guys that are on the battlefield now in Iraq and Afghanistan in the back of their mind if they know what we do," said SFC Michael Henshaw. "They know that we’re gonna come after them." "When you get to a point that you want to quit, the motivation to keep going is you do need to pay back that debt, that obligation," added Belcher. And so each morning, they march those two hours on a 2,000-foot elevation gain over the course of a mile to keep that obligation and keep that promise to bring two more men home. The JPAC team will spend about a month at the Cle Elum site. Then they will search a second crash site near the Canadian border and North Cascades National Park. That’s where Lt. Kenneth Ambrose crashed in a P-38 Lightning in 1942. Hikers discovered the crash in 1998 but this will be the first JPAC authorized archaeological dig at the site. Leaving No Stone Unturned The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s mission is to achieve the fullest possible account of all Americans missing as a result of past military conflicts. JPAC teams search for, recover, and identify remains of MIA’s from World War II through the Gulf War. One soldier is still missing from the first Gulf War, 1,800 from Vietnam, 8,100 from the Korean War, and a staggering 78,000 still missing from World War II. On average JPAC teams identify 74 POW/MIAs each year. Source: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/sbd/36338.html http://www.patriotfiles.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39842 http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=3773956 |
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| P 47 D | 42-75236 | 09. März 1944 | Beaulieu, Hampshire, England | USA | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: AN EPIC TALE OF HEROISM AND DARING FLIGHTPublished in slightly abridged form in the Georgia Advocate, p. 30 (Spring 2002). Author: Donald E. Wilkes, Jr., Professor of Law, University of Georgia School of Law. The War Journal of Major Damon “Rocky” Gause Major Damon “Rocky” Gause Hyperion, 1999 183 pp., hardcover, $28.95 "This magnificent book fills one with pride just for being a human being," writes noted WW2 historian Stephen E. Ambrose in the foreword to a fabulously interesting little book which it is impossible to read without immense pleasure and which I want to tell you about. The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause is the unspeakably exciting, true story of a five feet six inch, 165-pound Georgian who as an American soldier in WW2 not only survived a series of heart-pounding adventures combating the Japanese but also carried out one of the greatest escapes of the war--indeed, of all time. Rocky Gause was born in Jefferson, in Jackson County, in 1916. After graduating from high school in Jefferson, he attended the University of Georgia while also taking flying lessons at the Athens airport, then called Ben Epps Field. In 1941, with America poised to enter WW2, Rocky enlisted in the Army and qualified as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. On Nov. 7, 1941, he departed San Francisco in a troop ship bound for the Philippines, then an American possession. He arrived in Manilla three weeks later. On Dec. 8, 1941, immediately after Pearl Harbor, Japanese planes began bombing military bases in the Philippines. Although several bombs exploded close to him, spraying shrapnel everywhere, Rocky was unhurt and telegraphed his Georgia bride (who he had married less than two months previously): "Am alive and giving them hell--Rocky." Two weeks later, 43,000 Japanese troops invaded the Philippines. From then until April 1942 Rocky was a foot soldier with the American and Filipino troops who, although short of ammunition, food, and medical supplies, engaged in fierce combat with the Japanese Army on the Bataan Peninsula. On Apr. 11, 1942 Rocky was captured and placed in a prison pen, but escaped the same day by stabbing a Japanese guard to death and fleeing through a hail of bullets. He then swam three miles through shark-infested waters to the island fortress of Corregidor where the Americans and Filipinos were making their last stand against the invaders. For the next month he endured the terrors of siege warfare, with enemy artillery shells and bombs continually raining down on the island. On one occasion, a shell burst immediately above Rocky, killing a Marine with whom he was conversing: "a piece of shrapnel the size of a fist struck the man in the back and came out through his chest, leaving an ugly gaping hole as big as a water glass." On May 5, when the island’s defenders surrendered, Rocky received permission from his commanding officer to try to escape to Australia. He left the underground tunnel where he was quartered minutes before the occupying Japanese troops arrived. Using a native outrigger canoe, Rocky fled Corregidor, narrowly avoiding the Japanese searchlight beams sweeping the waters and the patrol boats circling the island. Behind him Rocky could see parts of Corregidor enveloped in a sea of flames. For the next three months Rocky hid out in various places in the Philippines, helped and guided by Filipinos, barely eluding the Japanese soldiers in hot pursuit. After many amazing adventures and close calls with death or capture, Rocky and another Army officer named Osborne commandeered a 20-foot native-built wooden motorized skiff (which they christened the Ruth-Lee, in honor of their wives), and in this leaky, rickety craft set out on Aug. 20 for Australia, more than 3,200 miles away. Rocky’s account of their incredible 52-day journey through Japanese-controlled waters in the exotic far Pacific--the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea ("You can’t imagine how dark it is in the Sulu Sea in the dead of night in a creaking twenty-foot boat"), the Celebes Sea, the Makassar Strait, the Sagu Sea, and the Timor Sea--occupies about half his 183-page book. They encountered and dodged enemy patrols. They ran aground on coral reefs. They struggled through typhoons and monsoons. They came under machine gun and cannon fire from Japanese aircraft ("a bullet zinged so close to my ear [that it] grazed Osborne in the shoulder"), and the Ruth-Lee was raked with bullets and once caught fire. They ate coconuts, bananas, rice, and raw fish; they drank rain water. The blazing hot sun blistered their skin and they were tortured by mosquitos and other biting insects. Nevertheless, on Oct. 11, 1942, they arrived in Wyndham, Australia. It had been 159 days since Rocky had escaped his captors at Bataan. Ten days later Rocky and Osborne were personally decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross by Gen. Douglas MacArthur "for extraordinary heroism in action." On returning to America, Rocky, using the Ruth-Lee’s log and a diary he had kept on his sea journey, sat down and wrote The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause. The book did not appear in print in his lifetime, although excerpts of it were published in a New York magazine in 1943 under the headline "An Epic Tale of Hopeless Heroism and Daring Flight." Rocky’s orders on his return to the United States were to spend the duration of the war traveling around the country, talking about his escape and appearing at war bond rallies. In the summer of 1943, however, at his own request he was allowed to return to active duty and assigned as a pilot to a fighter squadron stationed in England. Shortly before shipping out, he paid one last visit to his home state, coming to St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens on Dec. 9, 1943 to visit his wife and two-day old son. It was only time he saw his son and the last time he saw his wife. Rocky arrived in England in late December 1943. In January and February 1944 he flew five daylight missions over Germany in his P-47 Thunderbolt fighter, serving as one of the escorts for American bombers. On Mar. 9, 1944, while practicing dive-bombing in preparation for D-Day, he put his plane into a vertical dive at a height of 30,000 feet. Then he apparently lost consciousness, and his P-47D 42-75236 plunged headfirst into the countryside 3 miles southeast of Beaulieu airfield, south of London. he was at the time a member of the HQ of 365th FG based in Beaulieu. He is buried in the American Military Cemetery in Cambridge, England. The War Journal of Major Damon "Rocky" Gause is much more than a book of high adventure; it is also a book about the unforgettable people Rocky encountered in the Philippines and on various Pacific islands. Some of them were Georgians--for example, James Oestricher, an 18-year old Army private from Quitman who constructed a movable machine gun emplacement disguised as a haystack to ambush attacking Japanese planes. He shot down two enemy dive bombers this way. "About two days before Bataan fell, Oestricher was killed by a direct bomb hit that was dropped from a plane as he fired point-blank at it." Another Georgian was Millie Dalton, an Army nurse on Corregidor who had gone to high school with Rocky in Jefferson. The last time Rocky saw her was shortly before he escaped the doomed island fortress, with the Japanese closing in. "I’m horribly afraid of what will happen to us when the Japs arrive," were among the last words Rocky heard from her lips. Later Rocky learned that the day the Japanese took over the island, three American nurses and one Filipino nurse joined hands, walked into the ocean, and "drowned themselves rather than endure the ravishes of the barbarous Japs." Was Millie one of them? But--and Rocky would have emphatically agreed with this--the most admirable people in the book are not the Georgians or other Americans, but the Filipino people. No one can read this book without being filled with respect for the Filipinos. Their courage, their honorableness, their loyalty is a central theme of the book. While the fighting was going on, the Filipino troops loyally adhered to the American side, volunteering for the most dangerous assignments and fighting with superhuman valor. Shortly after the Japanese had subdued the Philippines, when American soldier prisoners were suffering agonies at the hands of the Japanese, Filipino civilians would bravely risk shooting or bayoneting or beating to bring the POWs food and water. Without the Filipinos’ unselfish assistance, provided by young and old at great risk to themselves, Rocky could never have avoided capture or been able to set sail for Australia. "They were all my friends," Rocky wrote of the people of the Philippines. "Yes, every man, woman, and child.... I felt a personal duty to every one of them.... It was not by expert navigation or favorable winds or even courage, but by the grace of God and the Filipinos that I [made it to Australia].... Mabuhay las Filipinos! [Long live the Filipinos!]." This explains why the book, if it had been published in Rocky’s lifetime, was, according to Rocky’s son, to have been entitled By the Grace of God ... and the Filipinos. Source: http://www.lawsch.uga.edu/academics/profiles/dwilkes_more/his32_heroism.html http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Mar1944O.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Beaulieu http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=50.8075,-1.504722&spn=0.01,0.01&t=m&q=50.8075,-1.504722 |
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| Spitfire Vb | BL500 | 01. März 1942 | Brignall, County Durham, England | England | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: Plt Off Albert Lawrence Logan J/15102 RCAF, a 22 years old pilot of 122 Sqn RAF, was killed on 1 March 1942 during a training flight. He was attempting to force-landed near Dent House Farm, Cross Lanes, to the south of Barnard Castle and about a mile north-west of Brignall, County Durham. His Spitfire Vb BL500 crashed in the attempted landing sadly killing the pilot. The reason for him being in the area is not known but he was known to have a friendship with a Startforth girl. Following his death permission was granted for him to be buried at Startforth.Albert Logan was from Beansville, Ontario, Canada. He worked for Beamsville Canadian Bank of Commerce prior to enlisting, he enlisted in Hamilton on 18th October 1940 and gained his Wings in Canada on 22nd April 1941 before going overseas the following month. He was Commissioned in December 1940. He is buried in the Startforth (Holy Trinity) Churchyard in Yorkshire. Source: http://www.neaviationresearch.org.uk/Losses/Losses-WWII1942.htm http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1942/logan.html http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/aircraft/planes/dales/bl500.html http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p023.htm http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Brignall%2C%20Barnard%20Castle |
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| Spitfire IX | MJ623 | 09. März 1945 | Britanny, France | England | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: On 9th March 1945 91 Sqn RAF participated in Ramrod 1487, from Maldegem, escorting Lancasters sent to bomb the Dortmund-Ems canal.Flg Off A.G. Hyde, flying Spitfire IX MJ623 and acting as R/T relay, asked Manston control for a homing, and then nothing further was heard from him. The mystery was only partially solved the following day when the squadron learned that he had crash-landed in Brittany (near Rennes or Dinard area, depending of the sources). This was on the other side of France, and no once could tell why he was so far off course. ’Spike’ Hyde had suffered serious facial injuries and fractured both his spine and skull during the crash, and the squadron was told that he was unlikely to live, despite the best efforts of the 4389th US Military hospital at Rennes - F/O Hyde did, however, survive." His mother later send a letter to the mayor of the town where he was lost with his Spitfire to announce his death in 1947. Source: http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?p=44876 http://www.spitfires.ukf.net/p067.htm http://www.absa39-45.asso.fr/airfield/pertesraf.html |
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| Stirling I | R9358 | 09. März 1943 | Chevington, Suffolk, England | England | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: On the evening of 9th March 1943. F/Sgt Delbert (Dinty) Moore RCAF of 214 Sqn RAF was detailed to take a spare crew (his own having been shot down whilst he was hospitalised) on a trip to Munich in Stirling I R9358. After a couple of aircraft had left Chedburgh airfield with no problems, a new pilot on a night navigation exercise swung on take off, collapsed the undercarriage of his Stirling and so blocked the main runway. (No clue as to why he was not held until the operational boys had all got away). It was decided to use one of the shorter runways (SSE/NNW) and Dinty duly prepared to leave whilst not very happy as they had experienced their own undercarriage problems whilst on air test.The laden Stirling lumbered into the air at 2039 hrs but, with the undercarriage only partially retracted, clipped some trees, took the roof off a newly built house and finally ploughed in near Chevington about a mile away of the airfield. Miraculously the bomb load did not explode and the crew scrambled out of the burning aircraft. A head count revealed one missing, WO John E Flack, and, without hesitation, Dinty and Sgt Hamish Wilson, their New Zealand rear gunner, went back into the aircraft to find John trapped and upside down in his straps. They got him out suffering severe burns in the process later to be awarded the GM for their gallantry. At a 214 re-union do Dinty was re united with his WAAF nurse and ambulance driver. Crew (all survived with injuries): F/S Delbert C Moore (pilot) Inj Sgt H G Claridge Inj Sgt J C Chalmers Inj Sgt L G Wright Inj Sgt T J Wilson Inj Sgt John EFlack Inj Sgt Hamish A Wilson (rear gunner) Inj Source: http://www.214squadron.org.uk/Personnel_F_M.htm http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=5925 http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Chevington%20Suffolk |
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| Vengeance Ia | A27-83 | 27. Februar 1944 | Nadzab, New Guinea | Australien/Australia | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: The Vultee Vengeance Ia A27-83 of 24 Squadron RAAF force Landed on February 27, 1944. Its engine overheated after a raid on Alexishafen, forcing it down in a kunai grass field a few miles from Nadzab. Another aircraft in the squadron took several photos of the aircraft in the grass, and the crew on the wing.Wreckage A 1962 photo in Pacific Aircraft Wrecks shows the same plane urnt by grass fires which ignited center fuel tanks, leaving only the wings, tail and cowl. Reportedly, the remainder of the aircraft was broken up for scrap metal afterwards. References Pacific Aircraft Wrecks page 26 Source: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/vengeance/A27-83.html http://www.adf-serials.com/2a27.shtml http://www.maplandia.com/papua-new-guinea/morobe/nadzab/ |
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| B 25 C | 42-32314 | 15. Februar 1944 | Steffen Strait, New Ireland | USA | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: B-25C-1 "Stubborn Hellion" Serial Number 42-32314USAAF, 5th AF, 345th BG, 500th BS Ditched February 15, 1944 Crew: Pilot Captain Mike Hochella Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Bright Navigator 1st Lt. John J. Howard, O-664772 (MIA / KIA) OK Engineer S/Sgt Elmore C. Stephens Gunner S/Sgt Sam Kellar Radio Pvt Clyde R. Lambert Aircraft History Assigned to the 345th BG on October 22, 1943. This aircraft was a model C-10 that was modified to C-1 strafer at Townsville. Nicknamed "Snafu" (II) and later "Stubborn Hellion" with the nose art of a white mustang that spanned the entire nose. Regular pilot was Hpchella and crew chief Bigari. Mission History Took off on a attack against Kavieng. Its engine was set afire by anti-aircraft fire and ditched near Selapiu Island off New Hanover. Spotted the following day by 345th Bombardment Group pilot Captain Dougherty. The next day, he guided a PBY Catalina to the location. The PBY landed to rescue them on the 17th. Memorials Howard is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. Wreckage Wreckage is in excellent condition, but water visibility is poor. Both engines were torn off on impact and rest prop down in the mud about 100 feet from the fuselage. Don Fetterly adds: "The plane is an excellent dive. It is laying slightly on its starboard side with its starboard wing into the mud. and the other wing raised so you can swim under it. The fuselage is bent at the waist gun position although the tail plane to be at a angle of some 20 degree to port. The top of the cockpit is missing and the cockpit section is bent backwards towards and is laying along side the leading edge of the port wing about where the engine was. Water visibility is often poor, but the wreckage is still in excellent condition. Both engines were torn off on impact and rest prop down in the mud about 100 feet from the fuselage. The nose section is completely gone and as of this date could not find it . The top turret is bent sideways slightly, but all in all the plane is there just as it went down. There are lots of flack holes in the wing and main body. the machine guns are still there in the tail and starboard waist gun both 30 caliber the port gun seem to have be torn out." Marc Montocchio reports: "The wreck which is very difficult to shoot due to the viability which is not more than 10’. The engines are missing from the wreck and her nose cone was snapped off on impact and is lying against her left wing. The left front seat is loose, "legend" has it that pilot was thrown clear of the aircraft on impact and the seat has since been returned by divers to it’s correct position. Inside the fuselage the radio gear is very clear as well as what I presume ia an Oxygen cylinder. The tail gun is on the tail plane along side an number of ammunition belts with the turret guns pointing to the bottom no covered by an anemone and clown fish. One of the engine is to be found fifty or so meters from the plane with the prop covered by the silt and mud. The rest of the aircraft we found in clearer water" Source: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-25/42-32314.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steffen_Strait http://www.traveljournals.net/explore/papua_new_guinea/map/m3044665/selapiu_island.html |
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| P 40 N | NZ3165 | 13. Februar 1944 | Vunakanau, New Britain | Neuseeland/New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: P-40N-5 Kittyhawk Serial Number NZ3165 Tail Number 6014 Squadron RNZAF Pilot Flying Officer Gordon Treweek (KIA) Crashed February 13, 1944 Discovered 1955 Aircraft History Constructor Number 29083. USAAF Serial Number 42-105321. Wartime History Assembled by No.1 Aircraft Depot, Hobsonville and BOC at Hobsonville on August 9, 1943. Assigned to 14 Squadron. Written off March 9, 1944. Mission History Mid air collision with another P-40 (NZ?) during an escort duty on February 13, 1944. Crashed in heavy jungle south-west of Vunakanau. Wreckage Discovered in 1955. Source: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-40/NZ3165.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vunakanau http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-4.2,152.183333&spn=0.1,0.1&t=m&q=-4.2,152.183333 |
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| DH.84 Dragon II | A34-24 | 07. März 1943 | Jigol Peak, Queensland, Australia | Australien/Australia | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: A DH 84A Dragon, Type 2, serial A34-24, of No. 5 Communications Flight crashed in the Jigol Peak area in Freshwater Gorge on the 7 March 1943 during a flight from Cairns to Mareeba.Killed were: Sergeant Lindsay James Sutherland McColl, pilot, RAAF Brigadier John Crawford, Commander of 11 Brigade Lieutenant Arthur William Morris, AIF, 26 Battalion Seriously injured survivors were as follows: Lieutenant Colonel P.G.H. Cardale, AIF, 31st Battalion ACI R.H. Appleby, RAAF crew The above two survivors were found on 11 March 1943 wandering around in the bush. Vera Bradley’s book, "I Didn’t Know That", refers on page 50 to the crash of a DH-84 Dragon hired by the Australian Army from McRobertson and Muir Airways of the Northern Territory. Corporal Ken Hutchinson recollected that it was used for courier work around the district. While flying to Mareeba via the Intake Gorge it crashed, killing the RAAF pilot, and two Army Officers. The aircraft was reportedly carrying a large amount of money for the Army Pay Master at Mareeba. Because of this, its non arrival at Mareeba was of great concern, and search parties were dispatched not long after it became apparent it was overdue at Mareeba. There were two survivors. Ken Hutchinson assumed that the money was recovered. Ken later climbed up the Intake Gorge with the RAAF salvage crew from Charters Towers to help retrieve the motors and other recoverable parts. During the search, the party stumbled across a crashed USAAF P-38 Lightning. The pilot’s body was still located in the aircraft wreckage. Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/7mar43.htm http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2243560 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2243572 http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&q=Jigol%20Peak%20Australie |
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| Anson I | R9817 | 07. März 1941 | North Sea | England | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sonstiges: Other: On 7 March 1941 the Anson I R9817 UL-Y of 608 Sqn RAF ditched at 0840 hrs during a transit flight from Wick to Dyce. At about 0900 hours information was received that an aircraft had crashed in the sea off Whinnyfold, and the coastguard sent out a motor boat from Cruden Bay. She found nothing, but a destroyer picked up Sgt. Frost, 3 miles off Collieston, Aberdeen.Crew: Sgt. Robert Mitchell Cutting RAF - Died, no known grave. Sgt. Frost - Safe Sgt. Thomas Arnold Edwards RAF - Died, no known grave. Sgt. Andrew Chalmers White RAFVR - Died, no known grave. Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/70/a4233070.shtml http://www.rafweb.org/Members%20Pages/Casualties/1941/Casualties_1941_03-1.htm http://www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/search_item/index.php?service=RCAHMS&id=292419 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=231714 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=232820 http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=1531369 http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=fr&q=Whinnyfold |
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