Monomeith Park Airfield, Victoria

On 14 October 1942, a letter was sent to the Secretary Directorate of Works, Department of Interior regarding RAAF Station Monomeith Park, Victoria advising that "Requisition No. D.W.B. 38/42-43 for £100,000 for the construction of parent aerodrome, also dispersal facilities for the above RAAF Establishment, in accordance with plans and schedules to be supplied."

War Cabinet Minute No. 2342 to Agendum No. 354/42 approved of an authorised allotment of funds to the extent of £100,000, for the construction of an aerodrome at Monomeith Park, Victoria, chargeable to Division No. 189 - "Reciprocal Lend-Lease" Item No. 2 - "Expenditure on Joint Australian-US Account" and to Project No. U.S. 84 - "Dive Bomber Squadron, Monomeith Park, Victoria."

Koo-wee-rup Internment Camp, Victoria

I believe there was an Internment Camp for Italians near Koo-wee-rup in Victoria during WWII. Carolyn Griffiths is looking for information on her grandfather who was held there. He was one of the crew of a shipping company owned by Lloyd Tristino who was held at Koo-wee-rup.

Crash of a Tiger Moth north of Nhill, Victoria

Tiger Moth A17-751 of the Air Armament and Gas School (A.A. & G.S.) at Nhill in Victoria crashed 10 miles north of Nhill airfield on 4 May 1945. Flying Officer Keith Schofield (14937) of 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) was killed. The pupil on board was LAC John Francis Considine (441907) who was seriously injured with a fractured left femur, fractured left tibia and fibula severe shock and generalised bruises and abrasions. The aircraft struck the ground in full flight whilst carrying out training circuits and precautionary flying training.

Now the "Australia @ War" DVD

I have now exceeded the storage limit on a CD-R for my "Australia @ War" web site.

So it's now the "Australia @ War" DVD!!

No change in price.

"Australia @ War" DVD

Crash of a Wirraway at Camden, NSW

Wirraway A20-162 was damaged in an accident at Central Flying School at Camden in New South Wales on 30 November 1940 when it attempted to land too high and then dropped suddenly, severely damaging the starboard wing and aileron.

Crash of a Wirraway south of Goodna

On 18 January 1941, Wirraway A20-162 of 3 Service Flying Training School 3SFTS Amberley (Intermediate Training Squadron) spun and crashed into the ground 8 miles south of Goodna, east of Ipswich in south east Queensland at approximately 1300 hours. The pilot had been engaged in a solo height test flight.

The Brisbane Line

On 16 March 1943, General Douglas MacArthur held an "off-the-record" talk to the Press from 12:15pm to 2:15pm at his General Headquarters Southwest Pacific Area (GHQ SWPA) in the AMP building on the corner of Queen Street and Edward Street, Brisbane.

General MacArthur caused quite a flurry of interest from the press members present when he mentioned the infamous "Brisbane Line". It was reported in the Brisbane "Courier Mail" on 17 March 1943 that MacArthur had indicated that the Brisbane Line ran from Perth to Brisbane. When further questioned by the Press on his statement he then distanced himself from his earlier statement. Many years later General Douglas MacArthur stated in his reminisces that the Australian General Staff planned to defend Australia on a line of defence that followed the Darling River from Brisbane to Adelaide.

I have just updated my web page on the "Brisbane Line".

"Pip" Borrman dies in stunt plane crash

Well known Australian aerobatic pilot, "Pip" Borrman was killed in a plane crash at Shepparton Airfield on 25 February 2009 while preparing a routine for the Avalon Air Show.

54 year old Peter "Pip" Borrman, was tragically killed while preparing a Pitts Samson aerobatic aircraft for its first outing at the Avalon Air Show. "Pip" Borrman has performed at the Avalon Airshow every year since 1992.

"Pip" had completed a loop-the-loop above the northern end of Shepparton Airfield, when his plane failed to climb again, crashing into a paddock and bursting into flames.

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.

Was there a US Army Camp at Mon Repos?

In March 2009 Michael Latter told me that a Mon Repos turtle rookery ranger had told him that there was a US Army training base (most probably US although it could have been Australian) at Mon Repos near Bundaberg during WWII. She told Michael that at the southern end of the beach there was a large concrete slab there for bringing up amphibious vehicles from the beach. Mon Repos Beach is just north of Bargara.

Michael was not able to locate any slabs but he did find what looked like two possible makeshift machine gun posts made of rocks with an entrance on one side. These where located at the semi top of a hill looking down upon a large open area. A fair percentage of the area also seemed unnatural.

Crash of Dragon DH84 at Toowoomba 20 Mar 44

Dragon DH84 A34-58 of 4 Communications Unit, crashed at the edge of Toowoomba Airfield at 1150 hours E.A.S.T. on 20 March 1944 during a non-operational down-wind landing. All four RAAF personnel on board, comprising the crew of two from 4 Communications Unit and two high ranking passengers, were killed in this tragic crash.

Flight Sergeant Jack Hume Bird (409131), 4 Communications Unit
Leading Aircraftman John Royal Twyford (20460), 4 Communications Flight
Squadron Leader James Joseph Henry (1688), Air Force Headquarters
Squadron Leader Oswald Terence Cantor (261104), Headquarters North Western Area

Avalon Airshow 13 - 15 March 2009

Don't miss going to the Avalon Airshow near Geelong in Victoria.

http://www.airshow.net.au/avalon2009/index.html

Crash of a Vultee Vengeance at Nelsons Bay, NSW

At 1007 hours on 7 April 1944, RAAF Vultee Vengeance A27-91, of 4 OTU ORB, crashed into the sea in Nelsons Bay on the moving target range, Port Stephens, New South Wales whilst carrying out dive-bombing exercises. It hit the water about 200 yards from the Target Boat.

Pilot Officer James Percival Plastow (6734), pilot, and Flight Sergeant Basil Oliver Lowe (412555), navigator, were both killed.

Please click on the link above to see a web page on the topic indicated.

Mystery Crash at Chermside may be solved

Much mystery has surrounded the crash of an aircraft at Chermside on the north side of Brisbane during WWII. Initial information suggested that this was a P-40 Kittyhawk. So strong was the story that a street that runs beside the Kedron Wavell Services Club was named Kittyhawk Street to remember that fact that the P-40 had supposedly crashed in this vicinity.

Some detailed research by Rob and Beverley Isdale, Pat O'Shea and Glenys Bolland of the Chermside and District Historical Society has established the name of the pilot who was tragically killed. A newspaper report on their research indicated that 2nd Lt. Sol Stanley Schier of the 317th Repair Squadron, was the name of the pilot. It also indicated that the aircraft crashed near today's Ballantine Street, Chermside.

Ron Alviso confirmed the aircraft was a Thunderbolt rather than a Kittyhawk and indicated that it had clipped a latrine as it crashed. The plans of Camp Chermside show two latrines near today's location of Ballantine Street, Chermside.

Please click on the link above to see a web page on the topic indicated.