Queensland

The aircraft christened 'Star Duster' left Port Moresby bound for Brisbane with intermediate stops in Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton. About 6,700 pounds of cargo were boarded in Garbutt Airfield near Townsville and some mail was loaded in Rockhampton. On the last leg to Brisbane, while cruising west of Monto, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a canyon. As the aircraft was declared missing, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On June 22, 1948, a local found the wreckage in a steep wooded gully located between two high hills west of Monto. The right wing was found in 1961 some one km from the main wreckage and other debris such a door and stabilizer were found in 1991.
Crew (374th TCG):
1st Lt Victor N. Gibson, pilot,
2nd Lt Michael L. Reitman, copilot,
S/Sgt Everett L. Ahmann, flight engineer,
Cpl John F. Guigo, radio operator.
Passengers:
Tec Albert E. Peglow,
T/Sgt T.G. Cucciaro,
A/Sgt Hugh John McClean,
Sgt Philip Ernest Nicholls,
Gun Thomas Layton Vinecombe,
Sgt Jack Ernest Kerr,
Sgt Albert William Lawrence,
F/O Frank McLaurin Bartlett,
LAC Hector Richard Hore.
Source & photos: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld58.htm

The aircraft christened 'Pushy Cat' left Batchelor Airfield in the Northern Territory at 0730LT bound for Archerfield Airport in Brisbane with intermediate stops in Gorrie, Daly Waters and Cloncurry. The aircraft was unable to land at Gorrie because the airfield was out of order, so the crew landed at Daly Waters where additional passengers were picked up. The aircraft arrived in Cloncurry at 1245LT where three more Australian soldiers boarded the aircraft. En route from Cloncurry to Brisbane, the aircraft went through a thunderstorm area, broke up in mid-air and crashed in the Carnarvon canyon located southwest of Rewan. The wreckage was found two days later and all 19 occupants were killed.
Crew (21st Transport Group:
2nd Lt Raymond E. Anglin, pilot,
2nd Lt Joseph W. Kennedy, copilot,
Sgt Frank J. Ropinski, flight engineer,
Sgt Harold L. Baumstein, radio operator.
Passengers:
Sgt Robert L. Adkins,
F/Lt Roy Edgar Abbot,
F/Lt Albert Ernest Watkin,
Sgt Ronald Keith Pitchford,
Cpl William Brady,
Cpl Francis Paul Morris,
LAC John Given Maxwell,
LAC Stanley Kirk Sims,
Lt Harley Horace Lockie,
Lt Ross Rowsell,
Sgt Victor Frederick Bishop,
Sgt Thomas William Davey,
Sgt William Joseph Parker,
Pvt William Howard Dorman,
Pvt Andrew Henry Mildren.

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

The seaplane took off from Bowen on an air to sea gunnery training exercise. At the conclusion of firing practice, the aircraft was making a run across the wave tops over a choppy sea and it is assumed that the port wing hit the water and the aircraft crashed into the sea and sank approximately 5 miles east of Bowen. Two crew members survived while 14 other occupants were killed.
Crew (20th Squadron):
F/O Peter Keene, pilot, †
F/O Stanley John Porteous, copilot, †
Sgt Robin Fowler, flight engineer,
Sgt Raymond Charles Ciglander, navigator, †
Sgt Harold Stuart William Thomas, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Leslie George Dalgleish, fitter, †
LAC Ainslie Ivor Dent, fitter, †
AC1 Cyril Leslie Edwards, armourer.
Passengers:
Sgt Lloyd George Fiske,
S/Sgt Leslie Harry Harrison,
Sgt Robert Ronald Harrison,
Pvt Douglas McLaine,
Pvt Irvine George Osborne,
Cpt Lawrence Edward Tansey,
Pvt Kenneth Reginald Walker,
Cpt Donald Charles Whitfeld.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

The aircraft christened 'Eagle Beaver' left Townsville-Garbutt Airport at 0500 bound for Brisbane-Archerfield. Twenty minutes later, while climbing by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Cleveland Bay, few miles off shore. No survivor was found among the 27 occupants.
Crew (40th TCS):
M/Sgt Donald H. Arbogast,
S/Sgt Delbert Braund,
T/Sgt Leo W. Butcher,
T/Sgt Grant W. Caldwell,
S/Sgt Cielinski,
T/Sgt Andrew J. Crowley Jr.,
Sgt Herman R. Cummins,
T/Sgt Rodney D. Dinneen,
M/Sgt Aram L. Doolittle,
T/Sgt Stephen D. Dzury,
F/O Forrest,
S/Sgt Wilmer Roland Fowler,
1st Lt Owen A. Hawver,
T/Sgt Carl J. Huebner,
T/Sgt Charles S. Hunter,
M/Sgt Francis M. Lee,
Cpl Markel,
T/Sgt Laurence P. McKenna,
T/Sgt Ezra E. Rapp,
S/Sgt William Fred Repass,
T/Sgt George A. Roberts,
Sgt Floyd M. Simpson,
Cpl Venard H. Trebon,
S/Sgt Charles W. Tuttle,
S/Sgt Willard G. Van Patten,
F/O H. Wilson,
S/Sgt Charles J. Zahora.

The airplane departed Mackay to Port Moresby with a crew of six and 35 US soldiers on board, following a permission period. Shortly after takeoff, the captain decided to make a low pass over the airport so the people on ground could take all's leave off. During the last turn, the airplane named 'Miss Every Morning Fixin' went out of control, stalled and crashed in a huge explosion about one km from the runway threshold. A passenger was seriously injured while 40 other occupants were killed. Up to date, worst plane crash in Australia.
Crew (19th BG):
1st Lt Vern J. Gidcumb Jr., pilot,
F/O William C. Erb, copilot,
2nd Lt Jack A. Ogren, navigator,
Sgt David E. Tileston, radio operator,
S/Sgt Lovell Dale Curtis, crew chief,
S/Sgt Frank E. Whelchel, crew chief.
Passengers:
Pfc Jerome Abraham,
Cpt John O. Berthold,
T/5 William A. Briggs,
Sgt Dan H. Busse,
T/Sgt James A. Copeland,
Sgt Carl A. Cunningham,
T/5 George A. Ehrman,
Pvt James E. Finney,
Sgt Leo E. Fletcher,
T/Sgt Alfred H. Frezza,
Pfc Norman J. Goetz,
S/Sgt Roy A. Hatlen,
S/Sgt John W. Hilsheimer,
Pfc Vernon Johnson,
Sgt Donald B. Kyper,
Sgt Charlie O. LaRue,
Pvt Raymond D. Longabaugh,
Pfc Kenneth W. Mann,
Cpl Marlin D. Metzger,
Pvt Charles D. Montgomery,
Pfc John W. Parker,
Pfc Frank S. Penska,
Maj George N. Powell,
Sgt Anthony Rudnick,
Cpl Charles W. Sampson,
Pfc Arnold Seidel,
Cpl Jacob O. Skaggs Jr.,
Cpl Franklin F. Smith,
Cpl Raymond H. Smith,
Pfc Frederick C. Sweet,
Cpl Edward Tenny,
Pfc Dale Van Fosson,
Pvt Ruben L. Vaugh,
Charles M. Williams.
Sources & photos: http://www.ozatwar.com/ozcrashes/qld46.htm

While landing on a soggy field located in Antil Plains, south of Townsville, the aircraft lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no casualties.

Following an uneventful night anti-submarine mission off the Australian coast, the crew was returning to his base after a 23 hours and 23 minutes flight. On approach to Cairns' harbor, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea. Six crew members were killed while two others were rescued. The aircraft was lost but later converted to ground training aid.

Involved in an anti-submarine mission off the Australian coast, the Catalina was carrying a crew of ten on behalf of the 11th Squadron. En route, the captain declared an emergency due to an in flight fire. Control was lost and the seaplane crashed into the Gulf of Carpentaria, killing all ten occupants.

One minute after take off from Brisbane-Archerfield Airport by night, while in initial climb, the aircraft entered a patch of fog, banked to the left up to vertical position and crashed in a wooded area located 1 mile south of the airport. All 23 occupants were killed. The aircraft had also the civil registration VH-CTB.
Crew:
F/O Alexander Ken Arnold, pilot,
Sgt Joseph Hammond, copilot,
LAC Samuel Ivan Wiles, fitter,
Sgt Lyle Carter Morgan, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Sgt John Atherton,
LAC Thomas William Beckley,
P/O David Andrew Blackley,
LAC John Edward Chinner,
Sgt Robert William Tylden Chisholm,
LAC Kevin Francis Flanagan,
LAC Charles Paton Eric Fly,
Cpl Violet May Gunning,
Maj E. H. Halliwell, US Army,
Cpl Ruth Ada Hills,
Acw Florence May Jackson,
Sgt Max Irvenia Thomas Jarvis,
LAC Terrence Joseph Kelly,
LAC Kenneth Owen Paton,
1st Lt F. M. Skinner, US Army,
Lt Irwin Leo Smith,
P/O Alfred Tatlock,
LAC Geoffrey Frederick Waters,
Cpl Thomas Keith McDowell Watt.
Source: http://www.adf-gallery.com.au & Grahame Higgs