Date:	Saturday 4 January 1941
Time:	morning
Type:	de Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth
Owner/operator:	8 EFTS, RAAF
Registration:	A17-182
MSN:	DHA.183
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Grong Grong RLG (Relief Landing Ground) Riverina,near Narrandera, NSW -   Australia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAAF Narrandera, NSW (NRA/YNAR)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
c/no DHA.183: Taken on charge as A17-182 at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond, NSW 9.12.40. To 8 EFTS, RAAF Narrandera, NSW 10.12.40.

On 4 January 1941, Tiger Moth A17-182 (DHA 183) of 8 EFTS Narrandera crashed at Grong Grong RLG (Relief Landing Ground) near Narrandera in New South Wales. The Tiger Moth stalled at 150 feet while turning after take-off and collided with the desk from which flying was being controlled, injuring the Duty Officer Pilot Officer Dudley T. Everett and his assistant Sergeant David John Bourke. Instructor Pilot Officer Arthur Lloyd Bernard Smith (34110) was killed and his pupil LAC Lyall M. Ross was seriously injured.

As reported in a contemporary local newspaper (The Mercury (Hobart), Monday 6 January 1941, page 2):

"PILOT DIES
Training School Crash
SYDNEY. Sunday -
An RAAF flying instructor was killed and a pupil pilot, a flying officer, and a sergeant pilot were injured yesterday morning when a Tiger Moth trainer aeroplane crashed into a desk on the Grong Grong advanced landing ground, near Narrandera, during low flying practice. The desk was being used for administrative purposes.

Sgt-Pilot Arthur. Lloyd Bernard Smith (24) married of Sydney, was killed, Leading Aircraftman L. N. Ross (22), of Balwyn (V), his pupil, received facial injuries and severe shock. Flying-Officer Dudley P. Everett (28) of West Australia who was sitting at the desk received a compound fracture of an ankle when he was hurled into the air and Sgt-Pilot David John Bourke who also was at the desk, received minor injuries.

Central area headquarters of the RAAF stated that Smith and Ross were carrying out low-flying instruction exercises when a wing tip crashed into the flight desk-a desk from which flying administration is controlled. The wing was practically torn off and the aircraft climbed to about 100ft and crashed. Smith died shortly afterwards.

Sgt-Pilot Smith was the son of Mr. A. E. Smith general manager of Australian Glass Manufacturing Co. He joined the RAAF in October and was posted to Narrandera as an instructor early in December. An engineer in civil life he had flown 288 hours in Australia, England and America before joining up".

Struck off charge 15.1.41 as "damaged beyond economic repair" and authorised to be reduced to scrap and components

LAC Lyall Ross 256236 (pupil pilot) suffered facial injuries and severe shock and was admitted to Hospital - he was discharged from the RAAF in June 1944

Flight Sergeant Dudley P. Everett (291966) who was sitting in the office building received a compound fracture of the ankle when he was hurled into the air - he died in May 1943 at the RCAF Central Flying School in Canada

Sergeant (Pilot) David John Bourke 207749 who was also in the office received minor injuries - he was discharged from the RAAF in January 1943.

Grong Grong is a small town that is located in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. The town is situated on the Newell Highway, 23 kilometres (14 miles) east of Narrandera in the Shire of Narrandera. The name Grong Grong is an Aboriginal term meaning "bad camping ground" or "very bad camping ground"

1. "The DH 82A Tiger Moth in Australia" by Julian Forsyth.
2. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH82.pdf
3. The Mercury (Hobart, Tasmania), Monday 6 January 1941, page 2) PILOT DIES IN TRAINING SCHOOL CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/25841487/1856626
4. The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, NSW), 6 January 1941 page 16): PILOT IS KILLED IN STRANGE PLANE CRASH: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169760284
5. The Murrumbidgee Irrigator (Leeton, NSW) Tuesday 7 January 1941 Page 2 AIR SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR KILLED: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/156075891
6. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a17a.htm
7. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/647422
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2246331/arthur-lloyd-bernard-smith/
9. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/25489898/arthur_lloyd_bernard-smith
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._8_Elementary_Flying_Training_School_RAAF
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrandera_Airport#RAAF_Station_Narrandera
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grong_Grong

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Mar-2025 23:57	Dr. John Smith	Added
29-Mar-2025 00:03	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
04-Apr-2025 23:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]
12-Apr-2025 16:47	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Source, ]