Date & Time: Aug 16, 1945 at 1540 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-306
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Amberley - Brisbane
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed during takeoff from Amberley Airfield. Unfortunately the B-24 Liberator's brakes were applied too soon before the aircraft was safely in the air. As a consequence the nose of the aircraft dipped heavily into the runway causing the nose wheel assembly to collapse and also shearing the hydraulic lines for the engine controls. The aircraft subsequently skidded off the south east end of the runway into a 60 feet deep gulley and broke in half.
Crew (99th Squadron):
S/Ldr William Lloyd Milne, pilot
W/O Eric Ferdinand Carlson, copilot, †
F/Sgt Jack Grant Watson, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Marcel Kingsley Doolan, radar operator,
F/Sgt Warwick Manning Lane, air gunner,
F/Sgt Andrew Keith Cochrane, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allan Charles Annetts, air gunner,
F/Sgt Arthur Henry Clausen, navigator. †
Passengers:
Sgt John Raymond Slennett
Sgt John Knyvett
Cpl Jacqueline Ruth Row, †
Cpl Edith Tansley Sharpe, †
Acw Ruth Beryl Burcher,
LAC Waterman James Albert
LAC William Angus Ludbey,
AC1 Keith William Carlier,
LAC Douglas Charles Mighell,
LAC Leslie Arthur White,
LAC Mervyn John Edward Thornberry.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld245.htm