9 August 1943 - Crash of a P-38 Lightning at Biboohra north of Mareeba

9 AUGUST 1943
CRASH OF A P-38 LIGHTNING
AT BIBOOHRA, NORTH OF MAREEBA, QLD

A USAAF P-38 Lightning, of the 431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, experienced engine trouble during a flight from Amberley to New Guinea. It crashed at Biboohra north of Mareeba on 9 August 1943 killing its pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Kendall Duke.

Parts of this P-38 are at Sid Beck's Museum in Mareeba.

Terence Geary checked his P-38 database which shows only one loss on that date. This information originates from the Aircraft Record Cards as follows:-

#43-2200 P-38G-15-LO 5AF 9 Aug 1943 Condemned accident not combat related

This is most likely this P-38 crash at Biboohra.

Appendix B - 475th Fighter Group Losses in "Possum, Clover & Hades - The 475th Fighter Group in World War II" by John Stanaway shows on page 288 that this is probably P-38H Lightning #431, flown by 2nd Lt Andrew K. Duke.

USAAF Cemetery at Ipswich records show that a 2nd Lt Andrew K. Duke 0-736157 who died on 9 August 1943 was reburied at the USAF Cemetery at Ipswich on 16 July 1945. Presumably he had previously been buried at the US Cemetery in Townsville after his death.

Plaque at Mareeba Airfield

NOTE:- Marc Poole of Starkville, MS, USA contacted me on 15 May 2001 and advised that he had searched on the web for information on a Lt Allan Kendall Duke, the brother of a friend of his, Bettye Duke Jackson. She is interested in finding any other info on her brother. I believe this may have been a different person.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Damian Waters and Terence Geary for their assistance with this home page.

REFERENCE BOOK

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

"I Didn't Know That"
"Cairns and Districts, Tully to Cape York, 1939-1946,
Service Personnel and Civilians"
By Vera Bradley (1943 AAMWS)

"Possum, Clover & Hades"
"The 475th Fighter Group in World War II"
by John Stanaway

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products