F/o Arthur Keith Kelly.
Gunnery training (mock interceptions) of crews was setup with Australian and
United States military personnel to academically prepare both countries' airmen with added experience to accompany them as they continued to rout the Japanese from New Guinea and the Dutch East Indies.(Indonesia)
A USAAF B-24 D Liberator #42-40935 (Queer Dear) of the 380th Bomb Group stationed at Darwin/Fenton, went up to Melville Island on a gunnery training mission. The bomber's gunnery crew was to encounter several Australian Spitfire fighter planes to increase their accuracy potential of finding enemy fighter planes and engaging them.
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On 18 September 1944, Flying Officer Arthur Keith Kelly (S/n 401968) of 452 Squadron RAAF, piloting Spitfire A58-435, was taking part in the interception and attack exercise on the B-24 Liberator, whilst carrying out a head-on quarter attack, Another Spitfire Pilot (Red 3) saw some pieces fly off the B-24 Liberator after F/O Kelly's attack on the B-24. Red 3 then saw F/O Kelly's Spitfire spiralling downwards. Red 3 followed the damaged Spitfire down and noticed that the port wing of F/O Kelly's aircraft was jagged near the outboard gun. Spitfire A58-435 spiralled into the sea about 1 mile east of Cape Van Diemen, on Melville Island and disappeared. Upon impact, the right wing of the bomber, flying at 10,000 feet, went perpendicular to the ground.
The pilot and co-pilot frantically worked the rudders to level the bomber back to an upright position. The bomber's intercom was chaotic as
the pilot ordered everyone to bail out. Radio Operator TSgt
John H. Miller was sitting at his radio work station, working a crossword puzzle when the Aussie Spitfire hit their No1 engine, slamming his head into the radar screen. Up above, the upper turret gunner, Robert G. Gjerstad, fell from his upper position, hitting the radio operator with his body.
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F/O Kelly was not able to exit his aircraft before it hit the water. An extensive search by Air-Sea-Rescue failed to find any sign of F/O Kelly. His body was never found. He was listed as "Missing Believed Killed".
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The B-24 Liberator although damaged, was able to land safely at
Darwin Airfield after this tragic accident.
One of the crew members of the B-24 Liberator was Everett D. Bever, the Bombardier. The following is an extract from his diary entry for 18 September 1944.
"Our entire crew went up over Melville Island on a gunnery training mission. I experienced my greatest scare and narrowest escape from death when a Spitfire flew head on into our No1 engine. Aussie pilot killed. Everyone hurried into their chutes. Everyone was plenty scared. Threw everything overboard. Had our choice of bailing out or riding it in for a landing. All chose to stay with the plane.
John and Paul (pilot/copilot) did a miraculous job of flying and landed safely. Doc gave us some sleeping tablets. Hester went to the hospital."
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Gunner Hester from his Waist Gun position watched the Spitfire crash into their No1 engine. He spent over two weeks in the hospital after witnessing the incident.
Special Thanks to the son of Everett D. Bever, William D. Bever,
of McKinney, Texas , USA who sent the Engine photo's to me last week.
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