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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Crash of a P-39 Airacobra at Woodstock Airfield

On 27 July 1942, the aircraft of the 35th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group, USAAF, took off to fly from Woodstock airfield to the Weir Airfield in Townsville. This was normally a 20 minute flight. Hervey Carpenter of the 35th Squadron stated that 2nd Lieutenant Gilbert L. Oxley (0-428558) took off in the first P-39 Airacobra, but soon lost power and crashed into the gum trees near the Woodstock airfield and burnt. Oxley, who had also spent some time in the 80th Fighter Squadron, died in this tragic accident.