Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota III in Raitali: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
FL603
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mumbai – Mauripur
MSN:
12013
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport at 0725LT on a flight to Mauripur AFB in Karachi with a crew of three, six passengers, mail and freight. About thirty minutes later, a catastrophic failure cause the left engine to detach. A part of the left wing was sheared off and the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a prairie in Raitali. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew (353rd Squadron):
F/O S. D. Woodman, pilot,
W/O J. P. Shanahan, navigator,
W/O P. W. Williams, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express in Dübendorf: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1945 at 1500 LT
Operator:
Registration:
44-39213
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
15
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On touchdown at Dübendorf Airport, the right main gear collapsed, causing the engine number four to hit the runway surface. The captain increased power and decided to go around. During initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located some 550 meters northwest of the Hangar #2. Apparently, four crew members were killed while two others were injured.
Crew:
Cpt Robert Percy Neisser 5.

Crash of a Mitsubishi Ki-21 in Taipei: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1945 at 1430 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Taihoku – Dairen – Tokyo
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Taihoku-Matsuyama Airport, while climbing, an engine failed. The crew lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a huge explosion. While both crew members were killed instantly, both passengers were seriously injured and evacuated to local hospital. They died from their injuries few hours later. Both passengers were Japanese General Tsunamasa Shidei and the Indian Prime Minister Subhas Chandra Bose.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-5-NT Liberator in Amberley: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 16, 1945 at 1540 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-306
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Amberley - Brisbane
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
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

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota III in RAF Castle Donington

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
KG611
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
13370
YOM:
1944
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on approach to RAF Castle Donington. There were no casualties.

Crash of a North American B-25D Mitchell in Biak: 8 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
A47-37
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Balikpapan – Biak – Pitu
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Thew aircraft failed to return from flight to Biak. There was no communication from the aircraft and it was not located despite a 3 day intensive search. As Dean Norman notes "After the successful landings at Balikpapan, Borneo by the Allied forces Sepinggang airfield was soon ready to take Allied aircraft and was also to become the new home to 2nd Squadron. 2 Squadron's move from Hughes airstrip began on this day when a flight of six Mitchell's, led by F/Lt Neil Sharpe, departed for Sepinggang airfield and were to fly via Biak and Pitu. During the approach to the New Guinea coast on the first leg the formation encountered low cloud and F/Lt Sharpe descended to 3,000 feet. He also noted that F/Lt White turn away, to the right before disappearing behind cloud. F/Lt Sharpe then dropped to 1,000 feet and radioed the formation that he was going to fly below the cloud and upon reaching the coast would orbit and wait for the remaining aircraft. Arriving over the coast F/Lt Sharpe realized that two aircraft, which had broken formation were no longer with them. Arriving at Mokmer, Biak one of the missing aircraft soon landed but A47-37 was not seen again. Despite a search for the aircraft and crew it was many years later that the wreckage would be located in Dutch New Guinea (PNG). The war ended the very next day".
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/Lt Edward M. White,
F/O A. K. Morrell,
F/Sgt B. M. O'Brien,
F/Sgt R. A. MacGregor,
Cpl W. J. C. Maxwell,
LAC I. S. Coleman,
LAC B. A. Marshall,
LAC V. A. Morgan.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Crash of a Consolidated C-109 Liberator Express near Golaghat: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
44-49704
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
4559
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Golaghat, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Sgt James E. Hughes,
Cpt Walter Klemme,
Pfc Cloyce D. Pierce,
F/O Charles S. Sercombe.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 in Biak: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
17232
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
13594
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising by night, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Biak, killing all five crew members.
Crew:
Lt William Westervelt 4.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman near Chanyi: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-70484
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
749
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft crashed 50 miles east of Chanyi, killing the pilot David L. Boyce, sole on board.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-65-DL Flying Fortress into the Tyrrhenian Sea: 13 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1945 at 0930 LT
Operator:
Registration:
44-6873
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Pomigliano – Port Liautey
MSN:
23096
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way to the US with Army personnel on board. About an hour after departure from Pomigliano Airbase, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft into the Tyrrhenian Sea. On impact, the aircraft broke in two and sank in 30 seconds. Twelve hours later, twelve people were rescued while 13 others were killed. A body was recovered on the Italian coast over four months later, some 300 miles from the crash site.
Crew:
1st Lt Albert Lazar, pilot,
2nd Lt Joseph M. Johnson, copilot, †
F/O Robert M. Cashman, navigator,
S/Sgt Frank S. Peters, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Bernard C. Doherty, radio operator.
Passengers:
S/Sgt Leslie M. Caraway, †
S/Sgt Hayden N. Hale, †
S/Sgt Nathaniel Hendrix, †
Sgt Lloyd H. Ainsworth,
Sgt Eliga T. Eaton, †
Tec Ernest M. Dumoit,
Tec Woodrow W. Foster,
Tec Paul C. Hartzheim, †
Cpl Norbert J. Andrews, †
Tec Alfred H. Afflerbach, †
Tec Cecil E. Barnes,
Tec Fred P. Carpenter,
Pfc Jeff W. Busby,
Pfc Pedro G. Garcia, †
Pfc John J. Hardy, †
Pfc Howard W. Haskins,
Pvt Manuel V. Barrientez, †
Pvt Woodrow W. Boyles, †
S/Sgt Lewis Fraley,
Tec John L. Porter. †
Probable cause:
Engine failure.