CRASH OF AN AVRO
ANSON
ON MOUNT TORBRECK NEAR EILDON, VIC
ON 16 MAY 1940
Avro Anson A4-4 (ex RAF Serial No. K6215) of 14 Squadron RAAF went missing on a flight from Point Cook to Central Flying School CFS Camden, NSW on 16 May 1940. The aircraft had earlier departed RAAF Pearce on 14 May 1940 in company with Avro Ansons A4-25 and A4-38 headed for RAAF Camden. The wreckage of A4-4 was located just over 9 months later on Mt Torbreck, near Wangaratta, in Victoria on 24 January 1941.
The Avro Anson hit Mt Torbreck, about 200 feet below its peak in foggy weather. The crew of four were all killed:-
Flying Officer Anthony Ashby Daniel (243) Pilot
Corporal Ivan Lapen Stowdor (2472) W.T. Operator
Corporal Francis Ettiene Hyland (3515) Fitter
Corporal Herman Fred Sass (256) Fitter
David McMillan contacted me on 24 August 2000 to say that he had discovered this crash site whilst deer hunting in the mountains near Eildon, Victoria in the 1980's. He wrote an article about it in "Australian Ultralights" many years ago but, unfortunately did not kept a copy. David advised that the crash site was on Mount Torbreck and was difficult to find because the track was long overgrown in 1985.
David sent details of the crash site to the RAAF Point Cook Museum and they sent him some details as follows:-
Three Ansons left Point Cook at 1145 on 16 May 1940, enroute from Pearce to Camden, callsigns 8BNE, 8BNF and 8BNA. BNE eventually reached Cootamundra, but BNF and BNA attempted to return to Point Cook. BNA went missing and was found to have crashed on Mount Torbreck, near Eildon. The crew were PO A.A. Daniel, Cpl I.L Stowdor, Cpl F.E. Hyland and Cpl H.F. Sass. The aircraft was A4-4 of 14 Squadron RAAF.
A small memorial and plaque has been erected on the site. There is still some scrap metal laying about the site, though David understands that the aircraft was recovered for scrap by the locals.
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Anthony Dykes contacted me on 12 September 2013 to advise that he had visited the crash site in June 2013 and that the site had changed significantly from the way it looked in the above photographs.
Since he visited the crash site, Anthony has consulted with the DEPI (formally DSE) and has been granted approval to restore the walking track and the monument site with the assistance of a volunteer group. If anyone would like to be involved in the restoration process feel free to contact Anthony at ajdykes79@live.com.au.
Photo:- Anthony Dykes
Anthony Dykes standing beside the Memorial Stone
and plaque which
has a fallen tree laying across it when he visited the site in
June 2013
Photo:- Anthony Dykes
Close-up of the fallen tree across the plaque
Photo:- Anthony Dykes
Parts of the wreckage have been piled against the monument by previous visitors to the site
Photo:- Anthony Dykes
The overgrown site of the memorial in June 2013
Photo:- Anthony Dykes
The overgrown track to the crash site
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Alexandra and Yea
Standard and Yarck, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron
Express
Friday 31 January 1941, page 2
Bodies
Recovered.
Before daylight on Friday last a salvage
party left Alexandra to recover the bodies of four
members of the Air Force who were killed last May when
an Avro Anson bomber crashed into the big trees near
the top of Mount Torbreck.
The weather was cold and a certain amount of rain fell. The party got within about six miles of the scene of the accident before they had to leave the cars. The remaining portion of the journey was covered on foot. Messrs. Stan Sawers and J. Fry, who found the wreckage on the previous Wednesday, acting as guides. The ground was particularly rough and slippery. The bodies of the men were found in the immediate vicinity of the wrecked plane. They had not been disturbed in any way since the accident. Air Force men salvaged log books and certain parts of the plane. The plane itself was a complete wreck. The bodies of the victims of the accident were taken on to Melbourne on Friday evening. The crow of the plane comprised Flying-Officer A. A. Daniel, Corporal I. L. Stowder, Corporal E. E. Hyland, and Corporal H. F. Sass. Squadron-Leader Knight was in charge of the Air Force members of the party. He was accompanied by Flight-Lt. Sanson, together with two medical orderlies and four aircrafts men. The Air Accident Investigation Committee was represented by Flight-Lt. Kearney. The police in attendance were Senior-constable Field (Alexandra), Mounted-constable Owens (Yea), and a police photographer and driver from Melbourne. Messrs. Stan Sawers, J. Fry, V. Sawers, V. Newman, and Sawers jun. were the local members of the party. Constable Owens accompanied the bodies to Melbourne. The party, which left Alexandra at 3.15 a.m., returned at 4 p.m.. On the journey to the mount, they got about four miles past the old Sawers' homestead, and had to walk the remaining 5½miles. Heavy rain on the way up drenched them, and fires had to be made to thaw out. |
The following information is from the Commonwealth War Graves home page:-
In Memory of
ANTHONY ASHBY DANIEL
Flying Officer (243)
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on Thursday, 16th May 1940. Age 22.
Son of George and Winifred Amy Daniel, of Mount Lawly, Western Australia.
Cemetery: VICTORIA
CREMATION MEMORIAL, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: Panel 3 (cremated Springvale
Crematorium)
In Memory of
IVAN LAPEN STOWDOR
Corporal (2474)
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on Thursday, 16th May 1940. Age 25.
Memorial: SYDNEY
MEMORIAL, New South Wales, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: Panel 7.
In Memory of
FRANCIS ETTIENE HYLAND
Corporal (3515)
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on Thursday, 16th May 1940. Age 27.
Son of Charles William and Alice Hyland-husband of Eileen Alma Hyland, of Balwyn. R.C. Plot. Compt.
Cemetery: FAWKNER
MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: I. Grave 562.
In Memory of
HERMAN FRED SASS
Corporal (2560)
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on Thursday, 16th May 1940. Age 23.
Son of Ferdinand Herman Hans and Linda Margareta Sass; husband of Daphne Sass, of South Perth.
Cemetery: PERTH
(KARRAKATTA) CREMATORIUM, Western Australia, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: H Wall. Niche 6.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Graham Clayton and David McMillan for their assistance with this web page.
I'd also like to thank Anthony Dykes and Chris Daniel, nephew of Anthony Daniel, for their assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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This page first produced 23 October 2000
This page last updated 03 February 2020
