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| Date: | Monday 6 December 1943 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 5 CF RAAF |
| Registration: | A34-25 |
| MSN: | 2014 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 15 miles S of Croydon, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAAF Garbutt, Queensland |
| RAAF Mornington Island, Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland (ONG/YMTI) |
11.42: Built Mascot by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd to RAAF order for 87 airframes
26.11.42: Brought on RAAF charge as A34-25. Received at 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond ex De Havilland's
28.11.42: Allotted USA Horse Purchasing Board ex 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond
03.12.42: Completed at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond
31.12.42: Allotment to USA Horse Purchasing Board cancelled. Re-allotted same day to 3 Communications Flight RAAF ex 2 Aircraft Depot RAAF Richmond for exclusive use of the US Army Services of Supply Horse Purchasing Board
02.01.43: Allocated to No 12 Repair & Salvage Unit (12 R&SU) at Breddan airfield, Queensland for repairs.
04.01.43: Received at 3 Communications Flight, RAAF ex 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Richmond
07.01.43: Received by 5 Communication Unit, RAAF
15.01.43: Received 12 Repair & Salvage Unit (12 R&SU) at Breddan airfield, Queensland for repairs ex-3 Communications Flight, RAAF
17.01.43: Issued Communications Flight, RAAF ex 12 Repair & Salvage Unit (12 R&SU) at Breddan airfield, Queensland. Arrived at 3 Communications Flight same day.
20.02.43: Received 12 Repair & Salvage Unit (12 R&SU) at Breddan airfield, Queensland, ex-3 Communications Flight
27.04.43: Issued 3 Communications Flight, RAAF ex-12 Repair & Salvage Unit (12 R&SU) at Breddan airfield, Queensland
13.05.43: Allocated for temporary duty with No 5 Communications Unit at RAAF Townsville until 12.6.43. Duty is actually with HQ staff of USASOS (United States Army Service of Supply HQ) stationed just north of Garbutt Airfield.
06.06.43: Received 5 Communications Flight ex 3 Communications Flight temporarily until 12.6.43 for use by Base Section Two USA SOS Townsville
06.12.43: Aircraft reported missing on a flight transporting radar equipment from Garbutt to No 313 Radar Unit, Mornington Island when it failed to arrive for a planned refueling stop at No 29 OBU, Augustus Downs, Queensland. Pilot O402552 Flying Officer Ronald Gilbert Thomas (aged 22) single of Newcastle, NSW and crewman A8719 Corporal Terence Joseph Hutchinson Fitter (aged 25) married of Brisbane were reported as "missing presumed killed". Air search by Beaufort and Catalina aircraft until 14.12.43, along presumed track of aircraft, no sightings were made. Search called off 14.12.43.
14.12.43: Approved for write off as "missing presumed destroyed". Aircraft had accumulated 353.10 total hours as at this date.
21.05.50: Queensland Police Constable Watson stationed at Croydon, Queensland, 560 km West of Cairns informed RAAF Authorities an aircraft wreck had been found near Croydon with the remains of two bodies in the wreckage. Various other items were forwarded to RAAF for identification, and these items proved conclusively that wreckage found was that of A34-25 and its crew. The two crew were recovered for a burial with full military honours:
Flying Officer Thomas was buried on 03.08.50 in the Townsville War Cemetery Joint Grave B.C 13/14.
Corporal Hutchinson was buried on 03.08.50 in the Townsville War Cemetery Joint Grave B.C 13/14.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
4. https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-de-havilland-dh84-dragon-near-croydon-2-killed
5. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
6. https://www.ozatwar.com/6dec43.htm
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244310/ronald-gilbert-thomas/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2244210/terence-joseph-hutchinson/
9. http://radarreturns.net.au/units.php?name=42%20Wing&text=N
10. https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/649561
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon,_Queensland
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mornington_Island_Airport
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 22-May-2009 12:58 | XLerate | Added |
| 19-Jul-2009 00:32 | angels one five | Updated |
| 02-Jan-2012 11:30 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Date, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 31-Jan-2012 01:34 | Nepa | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, ] |
| 05-Nov-2019 22:41 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Narrative, Operator, ] |
| 10-Jun-2022 07:39 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 04-Nov-2022 01:43 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 04-Nov-2022 01:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 04-Nov-2022 01:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Destination airport, Source, ] |
| 04-Nov-2022 01:56 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type, ] |
| 04-Nov-2022 21:54 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 09-Nov-2022 12:22 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 28-May-2023 04:14 | Ron Averes | Updated |
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