22 November 1943 - Crash of an A-24 in a mud flat near Garbutt airfield, Townsville

CRASH OF AN A-24
IN A MUD FLAT NEAR GARBUTT AIRFIELD, TOWNSVILLE
ON 22 NOVEMBER 1943

Captain John D. Ewing (0433364), made a forced landing on a mud flat near Garbutt airfield in an A-24 (#41-15821) at about 3:15pm on 22 November 1943. Apparently the A-24 was the base commander's personal aircraft. John Ewing was from the Hq. & Hq. Sq. of the 4th Air Depot Group (he was later attached to the 320th Bomb Squadron of the 90th Bomb Group). He was testing the A-24 to qualify the plane for service. At least that was the official story.

The two passengers, who knew the Base Commander, cleared the incident with the Commander, and that is how Captain Ewing was not penalised. Captain Ewing made up a Test Pilot's version of the incident (see below) to clear themselves, and it was signed and released. He wrote in his report that "No one was seriously injured."

He had taken off from APO 922 (Townsville) and "while flying at 2,000 feet the engine started to get rough, oil and white smoke began to come out of the cowling. The oil pressure went down to 20 pounds, and the engine started to sputter."

Captain Ewing "then increased the engine RPM from 1850 to 2200, and reduced the manifold pressure." He lowered the landing gear with the intention of landing at Garbutt airfield some 5 minutes way. He then opened the cowl flaps from half to full open position, in an attempt to keep the cylinder head temperature low. The engine cut out at 500 feet, so he then made a forced landing on a mud flat. The aircraft ended up flipping over on its back. Major Edward Perry Thomas, Flight Surgeon of the 15th HQ and HQ's Squadron of the 15th Air Depot Group along with Sergeant St. George of the Special Service Section were passengers on this flight. No one was seriously injured except for Major Ewing who cracked his neck and was in the hospital a day or so. He actually ended up with hair line fractures of the C2-C3. He was grounded from flying for a while.

Edward Rogers sent me a copy of the following article
regarding Maj. Edward Perry Thomas's involvement in this incident:-

The Opp Times (Opp, Alabama),10 May 1945

“Doctor Needs Doctor
Sometimes in War”

By ROSE LAWSON

(Alabama Journal)

There are times when the doctor needs the doctor, Maj. Edward Perry Thomas, M.D., can graphically testify, remembering the hour and a half he spent hanging in an upside-down position, arm pinioned to the ground by the cockpit of his plane.

It happened on the northern coast of Australia - but, putting first things first, perhaps a thumbnail sketch of Major Thomas is in order before we detail his most harrow experience:

...........

At the time of Major Thomas' airplane crash, in November of 1943, he was serving in New Guinea as command surgeon of the Fourth Service Command directing aerial transport of portable hospitals to front line bases.

Motor Sputters
“While returning from a routine flight to an airfield in Northern Australia,” Major Thomas said, “the motor of our plane, an A-24 dive bomber, began sputtering and throwing great sheets of oil over the cockpit cowling. The propeller froze and the pilot searched frantically for a landing place. We were 30 miles from our destination.”

Describing the terrain below, Major Thomas said there was a narrow mud flat between the ocean's edge and the jungle. The earth appeared to be baked solid by the 130 degree sun.

“At approximately 135 miles an hour we hit the ground, only it turned out to be a thin uppercrust of deceptive hard coating and beneath it a muddy bog,” Major Thomas recounted. “The wheels ploughed through and our plane nosed over, and on its back, plunged ahead for another 35 feet.

“When the ship finally came to a halt, my companion, the pilot, and I, bat-like, hung upside down in the plane, suspended by our safety belts.”

Both men suffered lacerations about the face and hands caused by broken plexi-glass. The pilot was able to extricate himself and to fall unhurt into the mud below. But Thomas was pinioned by one arm beneath the plane, and remained for close to two hours in his discomfiting position.

Aussies Help Out
In a nearby factory some Australian workers, who saw the crash, came to the rescue. Major Thomas said never did the hot Australian sun feel as wonderful as when he crawled from under his prison and felt it blazing down upon him again. He suffered a dislocated shoulder and a compound fracture of the bone in the left hand, and for six months had no use of his arm. It is now in perfect condition, however.

If the Australian workers had not appeared when they did,, this tale would have had a dreary and tragic end. Twenty minutes after the two men were saved, the tide rolled in. Not only was the wreck covered, but it was carried far out to sea and lost forever in deep waters."

It is interesting to note that Major Thomas in the above article did not not mention Sgt. St. George of the Special Service Section who was also a passenger in this two seater aircraft.

I'd like to thank Susan Wolfe, daughter of Captain John D. Ewing, for her assistance with the details on this crash. I'd also like to thank Edward Rogers for his assistance with this web page.