9 January 1943 - Crash of a B-25C Mitchell in the Charters Towers area of Queensland

CRASH OF A B-25C MITCHELL
IN THE CHARTERS TOWERS AREA, QLD
ON 7 JANUARY 1943

visits since 1 June 2003

B-25 Mitchell

USAAF B-25C Mitchell, #41-12483, "Not in Stock", of the 13th Bomb Squadron of the 3rd Bomb Group, left Charters Towers at 9:30 am on 7 January 1943, and disappeared in the Coral Sea on an operational flight to Port Moresby. It was carrying supplies to Port Moresby.

The following nine personnel were killed in this tragic crash:-

1st Lt. Charles F. Dolan, Pilot
Warrant Officer John Trevor Soundy (RAAF 408059), Co-pilot
Major Sam I. Rubenstein, Adjutant of 3rd Bomb Group
S/Sgt Byron Krisle (Another source suggested T/Sgt. Kreistle)
S/Sgt Lawrence "Larry" M. Giles
M/Sgt Shepherd G. Decker
S/Sgt Karl R. Kergan
S/Sgt Robert E. Mongrain
S/Sgt Norman S. Wheeler

Another source also suggested that M/Sgt Ralph Hughes, Group Inspector was also killed in this crash.

On 2 September 1942, 1st Lieutenant James H. Mangan, Intelligence Officers with the 13th Bombardment Squadron (Light) AAF recommended Warrant Officer John Soundy for the Silver Star Citation for gallantry in action. John Soundy's father, John Soundy (snr), was the Lord Mayor of Hobart at the time that his son went missing.

Recommendation for Silver Star
Citation for W/O John T. Soundy

Forward Echelon, RAAF Headquarters received a memo from Headquarters, Fifth Air Force to the effect that the status of Warrant Officer John T. Soundy had been changed on 26 July 1943 from "Missing" on a routine flight from Charters Towers to Port Moresby, to "deceased".

One of the records in the National Archives of Australia suggests that the B-25 Mitchell that W/O Soundy was killed in was called "Oncle Rafe" rather than "Not in Stock".

NOTE:- The list of "Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia" shows the aircraft No. as #41-12403. Peter Neilsen's book shows this crash as occurring on 9 January 1943.

SOURCE:- Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia

Crash: No. 30

Position: 20.04 - 146.17

Department of Aviation Chart No: 3234

REFERENCE BOOK

"Diary of WWII - North Queensland"
Complied by Peter Nielsen

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Bill Swain for his assistance with this web page.

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