Beaufort Bomber crash site Waypoint

Hey, I do have them but not in a position to access the email today unfortunately. Do a search. When i asked the same question a while ago I can't remeber if someone replied with the co-ords then.

Leroy

Don't the Co-Ords but found this

A9-228
Served with 1OTU. Crashed 04/06/45, Mount Towonga, 15 miles southwest of Eskdale VIC. The beaufort took off from Mount Gambier at sunset on a long range reconnaissance and night astro naviation exercise. Plane and crew were never found. Crew; FLGOFF Don Algernon Flavel 416663(Pilot), FLGOFF Robert Victor Clayton 406640(Nav), FLGOFF Frederick Anthony Wallis 408715(WAG) & FSGT Lloyd Joseph Sims 434749(WAG) killed.

I just recently bought an Audio Book CD , called FLAK he interviews WWII Pilots,Gunners, etc that are still alive from UK and Australia , the accounts are mind blowing, like looking at the bomber flying next to , Bomb bay doors open ready to deliver and a flak goes straight in and blows the lot before the eyes, his mates gone in a flash, what brave men they were, If you see it certainly get a copy ,

Doug

Thanks Doug I'll post pics if we find it and the co-ord's for others who visit the area. There probably isn't much left now which is a shame

Some info here (including some conflicting distances from Eskdale).

Stephen.

RAAF Beaufort, A9-228, of No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU), left Mount Gambier at 5.33pm on 4 June 1945, headed for East Sale on a long range sea reconnaissance and night astro-navigation exercise. The aircraft was meant to head east for East Sale, but instead it headed north east. It flew over Albury in New South Wales. It circled Albury and and then flew in the direction of the Victorian Alps.

Several bearing adjustments were radioed to the aircraft from East Sale, but these were not acted on and the aircraft descended through the clouds. Radio transmissions had ceased at 8.15 pm. The aircraft slammed into the side of Mount Tawonga killing all the crew listed below:-

F/O Don Flavel (pilot)
F/O Robert Clayton (navigator)
F/O Fred Wallis
Flt. Sgt. L. J. Sims (radio operator)

The RAAF searched for 5 days in the area where they suspected the crash may have occurred. Evidence at a Court of Inquiry indicated a possible aircraft crash on Mount Tawonga. This area had not been checked and relatives, with the aid of Lieutenant Richard Hamilton of the Volunteer Defence Corps started a search on Mount Tawonga. It only took them 2.5 hours to find the wreckage. The crew were buried at the military cemetery at Sale.

There were still some significant remnants of this wreck at the crash site in early 2000. Parts of the tail section still have the green and brown camouflage quite evident. Malcolm Black of Sydney has been involved in finding many WW2 wrecks in the Northern Territory and Western Australia and was surprised to find this wreck in Victoria

I was disappointed to read that the article was inviting scavengers to take what was left. In fact there is very little left and the relatives of the dead crew see the site as being sacred.

On Sunday 4 June 2000 a memorial plaque was unveiled dedicated to the airmen who lost their lives in A9-228. Also dedicated to the locals who searched for the Beaufort for 8 weeks. Many of the relatives of the crew will be present. Also the Commanding Officer of RAAF East Sale and a fly-past, local politicians etc etc.

Only weeks before the end of World War 2 a Bomber on a training exercise became lost at night in North Eastern Victoria with tragic consequences.
How did this experienced crew manage to be 100 miles off-course?

Why did it take so long to find the wreck?

A book titled 'Going My Way' by Russell Kelly, has been published and tells the story of this crash.

Russell's account of events that took place in 1945 traces the last flight of Beaufort Bomber A9-228, the botched RAAF aerial search and the ultimate discovery by relatives of the wreck in rugged mountain country.

Available from the author Russell J kelly
russell@wombatgully.com.au

There is a little book called "Going My Way" by Russell J Kelly first published in 2000 ISBN 0 9578533 0 0 with lots of detail and photographs. Bought the book some years ago in Mitta Mitta fuel/local shop/deli. From the book we found the site (there is a memorial plaque and still some debris to be seen). I don't think they gave the GPS co-ords, but if I can find them I'll put up another reply to your post.

Ah, got it.
South 36 degrees 31 minutes 42 seconds
East 147 degrees 7 minutes 48 seconds
There you are!

hi there madcow
when you call into the eskdale pub fo lunch have a look at photos on wall
the publican should be able to tell where to go as far as i know you take the road beside pub it is on a right hand bend not shaw of ks though been there couple times very steep walk not much left
cliff

If your interested in that as I am then this site might get you some reading

home.st.net.au/~pdunn/index.htm

Here's a funny one, not the crash . but the date/locations

Tuesday 9 December 1942
CRASH OF A BEAUFORT
AT WEDNESDAY ISLAND
near Thursday Island

home.st.net.au/~dunn/9dec42.htm

Can any of you plane crash experts help me to identify a crashed plane on the Hugh River near Stuart Well ( south of Alice Springs ) ?

Thanks ,

Willie .

Well we found it on Saturday. The missus spotted the arrow that is carved into a tree where you have to park. UTM 0511996 5957855. Then it is a fairly decent slog up a track that is a bit hard to follow in spots up to the wreckage (or whats left of it) at 0511894 5957514. The bits and pieces are starting to get spread out a bit with most of it in a gully that has seen decent rains wash it further downhill. I'll post a couple of pics in the next couple of days.

Cheers Dave