Royal Australian Air Force - RAAF

Departed Cairns for Iron Range Camp, stopped at Cooktown for fuel then encountered severe weather conditions near Iron Range. Radio contact was lost and the aircraft reported missing. An aerial search was mounted over the next four days by RAAF and civilian search planes. Five days later, a Catalina located the wreckage near the old Claudie bush strip 10 miles south of Iron Range. A RAAF Court of Enquiry determined that the aircraft crashed after it struck a tree at 1445LT when trying to land at Claudie strip in bad weather. The aircraft was destroyed and all three on board were killed. Access to crash site was impossible because of flood waters.
Crew:
F/O Colin William Law,
F/Sgt John Brian Crawford,
F/Sgt George Morris Geisel.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The aircraft arrived at Ambon Airport at 0850LT and the captain decided to wait for another RAAF C-47 flying from Darwin to have a briefing with the other crew about the enroute weather conditions. The aircraft left Ambon at 1040LT bound for Darwin but failed to arrive. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace from the aircraft nor the 25 occupants was found.
Crew (35th Squadron):
F/O F. Robinson, pilot,
F/Lt N. J. Hazle, copilot,
F/O G. R. Connell, wireless operator,
Sgt F. Bodley, navigator.
Passengers:
Sgt W. Mullins,
LAC L. H. Wilson,
Pvt F. R. Carter,
Pvt B. Pearchall,
Cfn H. Arnold,
Pvt K. Kripper,
Cfn W. K. Arcus,
Pvt R. Albertson,
Sig J. E. Pollard,
Spr S. E. Evans,
Pvt R. Giochan,
Cpt T. Walgett,
Cpl L. R. Lishmind,
Pvt R. Bowles,
Pvt F. McCarthy,
Pvt R. Burg,
Cpt F. R. Barnett,
Gnr H. Robins,
Spr J. Wilson,
Cpl R. Green,
Able Seaman.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Six technicians were attempting to start engines after a 60 hourly maintenance. The aircraft was not refueled after arriving some 36 hours previously on a flight to collect supplies. It had been standing out in the open in heat for some 16 hours with a possible built up of fuel fumes from leaky tanks or lines. The aircraft suffered an explosion from an electrical short, within the fuselage, causing a fire that consumed the aircraft. All six crew were injured and one of them died from his injuries few hours later. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.
Crew:
Cpl S. M. Williams,
LAC W. J. Wythes,
C. H. Cruickshank,
S. B. Wetzler,
McLoughlin,
Brown.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The aircraft departed Jacquinot Bay Airstrip at 0900LT bound for Rabaul with Australian and Indian soldiers on board. About 20 minutes later, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of an unnamed mountain located in the region of the Wide Bay. The wreckage was found at 150 feet from the summit and all 28 occupants were killed.
Crew (33rd Squadron):
F/Lt Ron Alexander Hanrahan, pilot,
F/Lt Grahame Patrick Lobwein, copilot,
F/Sgt Douglas Albert Bruderlin, radio operator.
Passengers:
Sister Verdun Bernice Sheah,
Cpl Hugh Cushing,
Cpl Stanley William Bridge,
LAC Maurice James Mills,
LAC Norman Harold Blake,
Seaman David Thomas Bristow,
Seaman Edgar Murry Hancock,
Lt John Lisle Honey,
Lt Leonard Henry Beard,
Lt Col Thomas Dennis Hannon,
W/O Clive Frederick Martin,
Maj Lionel Charles Saunders,
Lt William Reaburn Grieve,
Pvt Ronald Arthur Spencer
Sepoy Lakhu Ram,
Sepoy Shiv Singh,
Cpl Dina Nath,
Sepoy Jan Abdullah,
Sepoy Chain Singh,
Sgt Humir Singh,
Sgt Chint Singh,
2nd Lt Abdul Ratif
Sepoy Jogandel Singh,
Cpl Shai Singh,
Sepoy Chelu Rham.

Enroute, the aircraft started to lose height for no apparent reason as controls showed no response. It trimmed and climbed, then stalled, went into spin and flattened out at 3,000 feet above mean sea level. The pilot was able to regain control and then decided to ditch the aircraft off Labuan. While the aircraft sank, all 23 occupants were unhurt and took refuge in life rafts. They were rescued about 15 hours later some 150 miles east of Tarakan.
Crew (345th Squadron):
F/O A. Burns 2.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

While cruising in low visibility at an altitude of 14,200 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Carstensz Mountain Range. As it failed to arrive in Townsville, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The missionary Jerry Reeder discovered the wreckage with his Cessna 206 in June 1967. He had rented a vacant house to the DeLong Lumber Company that was doing a hardwood lumber survey in the area. Their superintendent, Mike Cramer, upon hearing about his discovery of a downed aircraft immediately made their Bell Jet-Ranger helicopter available to visit the site. The first attempt had to be aborted due to weather and a partial engine failure. They nearly crashed twice. But the next day they were able to spend two hours on the ground. They gathered three sets of dog tags and the pilot\\\\\\'s chart case which were turned into to the Australian Embassy in Singapore a month later. On December 10, 1970, walkers found the wreckage on the slope of a mountain located near Mt Puncak Jaya, southwest of Mulia, some 100 feet from the summit. It was later decided between Indonesian and Australian authorities to repatriate all remains back to Australia. This exercise was completed from May 23 to June 6, 2005.
Crew (33rd Squadron):
W/O Arthur Jack Hunter, pilot,
W/O Albert Clifford Hughes, copilot,
F/Sgt Kenneth Robert Wiles, wireless operator,
W/O Eric Wilkinson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Allan George Sawrey,
Sgt Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore.
Passengers:
W/O Allan Campbell,
LAC William Royce Dunderdale,
F/O Noel Royce Stibbard,
Sister Marie Eileen Craig,
Pvt Keith John Bowden,
Pvt Laurie Anthony Coombe,
George Phillip Duffy,
Trevor John Eiszele,
Pvt Mervyn John Ford,
Sgt Arthur John Hyde,
Frederick Joseph Ireland,
Lt Alun Morris Jones,
Pvt Arthur Trevor Jorgensen,
James Francis MacDougall,
Ronald Leslie Mathieson,
Jonathan Matthews,
Pvt John McAlorum,
Pvt Ian Scott McDowall,
Pvt Leonard Thomas Oakley,
Pvt Ian Thomas Ray,
Pvt Donald William Smith,
Pvt James Ivan Tindall,
Cpl George John Welch.

Thanks to Jerry Reeder for his testimony.

Crashed whilst escorting a Catalina to an area near the southern tip of Borneo. As the Catalina landed and sent a party ashore to talk with the natives, the captain circled the area then left but flew too low and did not pullout of a shallow dive in time . The aircraft struck a coconut tree sending it crashing into the ground. It was only later that the Catalina crew were advised the Mitchell had crashed and proceeded to the area where the Mitchell had gone down and discovered two survivors. One of them died from his injuries few hours later.
Crew (2nd Squadron):
F/Lt Lawrence A. Kirk, pilot, †
F/O L. Bishop, †
F/O P. A. Taylor, †
W/O C. R. M. Ricketts, †
F/Sgt F. J. Stolweather, †
Cpl R. O. Byrne, †
LAC M. S. White, †
F/Sgt Booth.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The crew was performing a training mission from Amberley when he encountered problem with a propeller. From the ground, it appeared to everyone else that the problem was rectified satisfactorily and after completing a circuit of the airfield, the pilot advised that he would be returning to land but kept losing height until the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed 8 km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 5 occupants were killed.
Crew (99th Squadron):
Lt G. A. Hendy, pilot,
F/O R. F. Pullin, copilot,
F/Sgt V. J. Quinn, navigator,
Sgt Dureau, wireless operator,
F/O J. H. Mutton.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Crashed on takeoff for unknown reason. Both crewmen were uninjured while the aircraft was written off.
Crew (38th Squadron):
F/Lt F. H. Dyke 1.

One minute after takeoff from Alotau Airport, while climbing, the captain informed ground he was encountering bad weather conditions and elected to return. Shortly later, the aircraft went out of control and apparently crashed into the sea off Alotau. Some debris were found a day later but no trace of the 19 occupants. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were unfavorable with turbulence and rain due to the presence of a tropical storm.
Crew (33rd Squadron):
F/Lt Eric Clarence Beer, pilot,
F/Lt John Francis Mulcahy,
F/Sgt Francis Xavier Sullivan.
Passengers:
Sgt Keith Hugh Devenish,
AC1 Albert John Haslam,
Cpl Neil Stuart Mackay,
LAC William Douglas Goldie Stevens,
Cpl Michael Francis Moran,
Sgt Wesley Greg Doran,
F/O William Patrick Reedman,
F/Sgt James Neville Davis,
F/Sgt Kevin Francis Rutherford,
F/Lt William John Gordon,
Cpl Eastall Lochlan Eastall,
LAC Albert Grant Walton,
LAC Percy Badon Healy,
Cook Gordon Liddell,
Lt Noel Thomas Williams,
Spr Keith Smith.