Oceania

The C-47 developed brake trouble, collided with RAAF Consolidated B-24M-10-CO Liberator A72-182 and ran into a ditch. There were no casualties.

The heavy bomber left Truscott AFB at 0650LT on a bombing mission over Bali and Lombok. Shortly after takeoff, the crew contacted the tower to inform that he encountered problems to gain height. Several distress calls were sent and 23 minutes later, the aircraft crashed into the Vansittart Bay, off Truscott. All 12 crew members were killed and only three bodies were found.
Crew (24th Squadron):
S/L N. H. Straus, pilot,
F/Sgt Boyd, copilot,
F/Sgt R. M. Morris, flight engineer,
F/Lt C. D. Parry-Okenden, navigator,
F/O R. A. Whiting, navigator,
F/O J. W. Hursthouse, wireless operator and air gunner,
W/O W. R. Flanagan, wireless operator and air gunner,
W/O H. G. Parker, air gunner,
F/Sgt J. R. Ryan, air gunner,
F/Sgt A. J. Rogers, air gunner,
Sgt A. D. Whitehead, air gunner,
Cpl D. W. Madden.

The crew was performing a training mission out of Whenuapai AFB when the twin engine aircraft collided with a RNZAF C-47 registered NZ3501 over Kaukapakapa. The crew of the C-47 was able to return to Whenuapai AFB with minor damages and landed safely. The captain of the Ventura ordered his crew to bail out and attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a field in Kaukapakapa. The pilot F/Lt William Farnsworth was killed while his crew was unhurt.

The pilot, sole aboard, was performing a flight from Brisbane-Archerfield Airport to Dulacca, Queensland. While approaching Miles, he encountered unspecified problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing when the single engine airplane hit power cables and crashed in a field. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was written off.

The aircraft left Rockhampton bound for Pitu, Indonesia, with 20 passengers and a crew of two on board. Enroute, the crew decided to return due to insufficient fuel. While approaching Cape Melville, the captain ordered the passengers to bail out. The crew abandoned the aircraft as well and the Dakota crashed into the Bathurst Bay. Five passengers were injured and fifteen others were unhurt. A passenger was killed because his parachute failed to open and no trace of the captain was found.
Crew:
1st Lt Rueben A. Blackburn,
Sgt Henry P. Williams. †
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld148.htm

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Darwin River, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
S/Sgt Merle L. Bice,
2nd Lt Glen R. Jacobs,
2nd Lt George A. Pfrommer,
Sgt Walter F. Plisga.

The crew was completing a training mission at Bairnsdale Airport. On final approach, the twin engine aircraft crashed 500 yards short of runway threshold. A crew member was killed while three others were injured.
Crew:
Sgt M. Lawrence, †
W/O J. K. Phillips,
F/O W. L. Haynes,
Sgt E. J. Richardson.

Low on fuel while conducting a night training mission in poor weather conditions, the aircraft crashed 2 miles north of Rosedale. A crew members was killed while three others were injured. Sgt. D.J. McLeod parachuted at low altitude and died.
Testimony from the pilot:
The cause of the crash (which the Court of Enquiry called a phenomenon of the weather) was a low cloud bank, right down to the deck, up to about 2000 feet which rolled in from the sea enveloping our base at Bairnsdale, which is near the coast. The 13 aircraft engaged in this night navigation exercise were out at sea. My crash was caused by the lack of fuel. I was the first to take off that night and was about 100 miles from the coast when I sent a signal to base reporting that weather conditions prevented some parts of the navigation procedures being carried out. Base notified all aircraft to return to base. Probably about half of them were able to land at Bairnsdale. After exploring every option available to me the only hope was to bail out because Eastern Victoria was completely covered. So I was about to climb to 5000 feet when we saw a hole in the clouds and a row of lights which could have been a flare path. After checking the fuel and the time we had been in the air I calculated that I still had 30 minutes of fuel which was sufficient to investigate. The lights proved to be a stationary train. I immediately started to climb out when the starboard motor cut at about 2000 feet above sea level. The crew managed to bail out just before the port motor cut. I went into crash landing procedure hitting four trees and losing a large section of one wing and a portion of the other. The aircraft was a write off.
Crew:
F/Sgt Kevin M. Moloney, pilot,
Sgt D. J. McLeod, †
G. S. Liles,
P/O A. M. Ward.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/vic141.htm

Crashed near Wau, killing both pilots.
Crew:
S/Sgt Ralph C. Coffman,
2nd Lt Jacob Enneus. Wondaal.

The crew left Aitape-Tadji Airfield on a supply mission to the Malin-Walum area located west of Wewak. Enroute, the aircraft crashed and burned near But and was totally destroyed. Four crew members and two passengers were killed. Two crewmen were seriously injured.
Crew (36th Squadron):
S/L L. K. Jackson, pilot,
F/Lt K. R. C. Mathews, copilot, †
F/Sgt D. G. Campbell, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Pvt J. G. Law,
Sgt H. M. Whaling, †
Pvt E. J. Collins. †
Passengers:
Cpl A. E. Guy, †
Cpl K. Harden. †