Date & Time:
Sep 7, 1943 at 1648 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
A24-52
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Townsville - Townsville
MSN:
1259
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
6
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The seaplane, carrying 10 crew and 9 passengers, crashed when landing after returning from Merauke and Karumba. After touching down the aircraft traveled a short distance when it struck a large wave and sank by the bow. A film that captured the incident disclosed that after the aircraft sank by the bow one or both anti-submarine depth charges exploded.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Charles John Miles, pilot, †
F/Lt William John Canterbury, pilot, †
F/O Ronald Irvine Ferguson, pilot, †
F/O Gordon John Robert Hockey, navigator, †
F/O Reginald Albert Weeks, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Bernard Victor McInerney, wireless operator, †
Cpl William Richard George Lobb, fitter,
Sgt Maxwell Burnett Dore, flight engineer,
Cpl Ronald Colin Smith, fitter,
Cpl Albert Leslie Fowler, armourer.
Passengers:
S/L Leo Mathew Hogan, †
F/O Charles Harry Ratcliffe, †
S/L John Vernon Angus, †
F/Lt Frank Haighton Lord, †
F/Lt William Archie Wilkinson, †
P/O Beresford Frederick Shearman, †
Cdr Arthur Henry Cobby,
W/Cdr Bruce Panton MacFarlan,
W/Cdr Willem Lodewyk Boscchart Stephens.
Source:
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld190.htm
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/Lt Charles John Miles, pilot, †
F/Lt William John Canterbury, pilot, †
F/O Ronald Irvine Ferguson, pilot, †
F/O Gordon John Robert Hockey, navigator, †
F/O Reginald Albert Weeks, wireless operator, †
F/Sgt Bernard Victor McInerney, wireless operator, †
Cpl William Richard George Lobb, fitter,
Sgt Maxwell Burnett Dore, flight engineer,
Cpl Ronald Colin Smith, fitter,
Cpl Albert Leslie Fowler, armourer.
Passengers:
S/L Leo Mathew Hogan, †
F/O Charles Harry Ratcliffe, †
S/L John Vernon Angus, †
F/Lt Frank Haighton Lord, †
F/Lt William Archie Wilkinson, †
P/O Beresford Frederick Shearman, †
Cdr Arthur Henry Cobby,
W/Cdr Bruce Panton MacFarlan,
W/Cdr Willem Lodewyk Boscchart Stephens.
Source:
http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld190.htm
