Military Aircraft Crashes in the Townsville Area during World War 2

NOTE - The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was retitled as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941.

Did you know that there were at least 215 military aircraft crashes or
mishaps in the Townsville area during World War 2?

DATE	LOCATION	SERVICE	AIRCRAFT	SERIAL NO.
Unknown	Robbery Shoals, Rib Reef, 30kms NE of Palm Island	?	possibly a Beaufighter	?
Unknown	Harvey's Range	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
Unknown	Cape Sandwich, Hinchinbrook Island	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	?
Unknown	Palm Island	USN	Catalina	?
Unknown	Calliope Channel, Palm Island	USN	Catalina	?
Unknown	Philips Reef	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell?	?
Unknown	1 mile off Pallarenda	USAAF	A-20G Havoc	?
Unknown	Kings Reef	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell?	?
22 Nov 40	26 miles south of Townsville	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-70
30 Jun 41	Townsville	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-118
abt 1942	Charters Towers	USAAF	A-20 Havoc	?
19 Jan 42	Unknown	RAAF	Hudson	A16-143
abt Feb 42	Near Townsville	USAAF	B-17E Flying Fortress	"Globe Trotter"
22 Feb 42	Townsville	USAAF	B-17E	#41-2416 "San Antonio Rose"
25 Feb 42	Unknown	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	? Could this be the one above ?
27 Feb 42	Cleveland Bay	RAAF	Empire flying boat, Short S23 C-Class S.849	A18-12, G-AEUG "Coogee" VH-ABC, 6 killed
abt March 42	Reid River	USAAF	B-26	#-40-1392 "Old Timer", 1 killed
3 Mar 42	Townsville area	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
13 Mar 42	Garbutt airfield	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	A29-4
18 Mar 42	Garbutt airfield	RAAF	P-40E Kittyhawk	A29-13
19 Mar 42	near Townsville	RAAF	P-40E Kittyhawk	A29-2
19 Mar 42	near Townsville	RAAF	P-40E Kittyhawk	A29-3
abt Apr 42	Between Townsville & Port Moresby	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	?
abt Apr 42	Weir	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-68
6 Apr 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	B-25C Mitchell	41-12514
8 Apr 42	Townsville area	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
11 Apr 42	Woodstock	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra	2nd Lt. Bernard P. Gillingham killed
21 Apr 42	Off Palm Island	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1419, 7 killed
21 Apr 42	Garbutt	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1473, 8 killed
21 Apr 42	Sea near Townsville	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
22 Apr 42	Reid River	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1447
abt May 42	Garbutt airfield	?	Fairey Battle	?
early May 42	west of Paluma	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	during Battle of the Coral Sea
4 May 42	Between Garbutt and Rabaul?	USAAF	F-4 Lightning	?, 1 killed, Cpt. Conolly of 8th Photo Recon Sqn.
4 May 42	near Townsville (possibly Toonpan area)	USAAF	F-4 Lightning	?
7 May 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	#41-2631
9 May 42	Charters Towers	USAAC	B-25 Mitchell	7 killed?
10 May 42	Unknown	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	?
10 May 42	Woodstock	USAAF	P-400	?
10 May 42	Great Palm Island	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-457
12 May 42	Antil Plains	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1477
15 May 42	Reid River	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1390, "Lil De Icer", 8 killed
15 May 42	?	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1489
20 May 42	?	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1405
24 May 42	Giru	RAAF	Hudson	A16-191 (collided with A16-194 below)
24 May 42	Giru	RAAF	Hudson	A16-194 (collided with A16-191 above)
abt Jun 42	into the sea in the Townsville area	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-70
5 Jun 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	Douglass A-24 Dauntless	41-15816, collided with A-24 shown below. 1 killed (not sure which aircraft he was from)
5 Jun 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	Douglas A-24 Dauntless	41-15774, collided with A-24 shown above.
7 Jun 42	Woodstock	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-490
7 Jun 42	Woodstock	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-493
8 Jun 42	Charters Towers	USAAC	Douglas A-24 Dauntless	41-15821
23 Jun 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	DC-2	?
26 Jun 42	Mount Louisa	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-84
2 Jul 42	Woodstock	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra	1st Lt George L. Austin killed
19 Jul 42	near Townsville	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-85 "Y" for Wurry flown by "Bluey" Truscott. Collided with A29-71 (see below)
19 Jul 42	near Townsville	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-71, collided with A29-85 (see above)
19 Jul 42	El Arish area	RAAF	Tiger Moth	A17-476
20 Jul 42	near Palm Island	RAAF	Catalina	A24-27
22 Jul 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	40-1518
24 Jul 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	Douglas RA-20A-1 Boston	#40-112
27 Jul 42	Woodstock airfield area	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra	?
28 Jul 42	Charters Towers	USAAC	Douglas RA-20A-1 Boston	#40-3161
14 Aug 42	10 miles north east of Charters Towers	USAAF	Bell P-400	BW144, c/n14-336
16 Aug 42	unknown location	USAAC	Unknown aircraft	6 killed, including 2 from 19th BG
22 Aug 42	Bohle River?	RAAF	Beaufighter	A19-54
abt Sep 42	saltpan at Pimlico after taking off from Stock Route Airstrip	USAAF	P-38 Lightning	Piloted by Ralph K. Watts
9 Sep 42	Charters Towers	USAAF	A-20 Havoc	13 ground service personnel died in this accident.
10 Sep 42	Halifax Bay	USAAF	Tiger Moth	Captain Bevlock killed
15 Sep 42	last contact 25 miles from Townsville	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
24 Sep 42	Charters Towers	USAAC	B-25C Mitchell	4 killed, #41-12890, "Sunsetter"
25 Sep 42	between Townsville and Mareeba	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra	#41-38339, Capt. Paul G. Brown killed
Late 42	Stock Route Airstrip	RAAF	Oxford	?
22 Oct 42	Cockle Bay, Magnetic Island	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-26, 3 killed
23 Oct 42	last contact 25 miles from Townsville	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
bef 24 Oct 42	Magnetic Island	USAAC	Unknown	1 killed
24 Oct 42	Charters Towers	USAAC	Douglas RA-20A-1 Boston	#40-82
abt Nov 42	Palm Island	RAAF	Wirraway	A20-?
1 Nov 42	Townsville area	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra	?
2 Nov 42	Townsville	USAAC	B-25D Mitchell	#41-29702 "Satan's Pet"
bef 9 Nov 42	Unknown	USAAC	Unknown	1 killed
abt Dec 42	Bowen	RAAF	P-40E Kittyhawk	A29-131 (#41-36082)
1 Dec 42	7 miles west of Charters Towers	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	#41-29728
10 Dec 42	15 miles east of Palm Island	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-161
23 Dec 42	Stock Route Airstrip	RAAF	DC2	A30-6
23 Dec 42	Reid River	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1481, "Dumbo"
30 Dec 42	Beach near Townsville Town Common	USAAF	RA-20A-1 Boston	#40-3150, 1 killed
31 Dec 42	Coral Sea between Port Moresby and Charters Towers	USAAF	B-25D Mitchell	#41-29733, "Hell's Belles", 12-14 killed
31 Dec 42	Between Charters Towers and Townsville	USAAF	B-25D Mitchell	#41-29698, "The Bird Dog", 8 killed
abt Jan 43	Bohle River area	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-?
abt Jan 43	Garbutt	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	?
2 Jan 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-22B	#3778
bef 4 Jan 43	Unknown	USAAF	Unknown	?, William Pappano killed
7 Jan 43	Charters Towers area enroute to Port Moresby	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	#41-12483, "Not in Stock", 5 killed
8 Jan 43	30 miles north west of Charters Towers	USAAF	Bell P-400	AH738, c/n14-169
8 Jan 43	Townsville	USAAF	C-47A
28 Jan 43	north of Charters Towers	USAAF	P-39 Airacobra
29 Jan 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	CW-22B	#3771
8 Feb 43	Bowen	RAAF	Supermarine Seagull V	A2-9
23 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	C-47A Dakota	#42-100619
26 Feb 43	Garbutt airfield	ANA ex RNEIAF	C-56	LT9-24, X2, VH-CAJ
29 Feb 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	CW-22B	#771
abt Mar 43	Garbutt	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-4
2 Mar 43	Townsville	USAAF	P-38 Lightning	?
9 Mar 43	Woodstock	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1480 "Thunderbird", 1 killed
29 Mar 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-70	#39-768
1 Apr 43	Townsville	RAAF	Seagull	A2-13
7 Apr 43	Rattlesnake Island	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	A29-462
8 Apr 43	Townsville	USAAC	B-25C Mitchell	#41-12904, "Half Pound Mary", 4 killed
8 Apr 43	Unknown	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
12 Apr 43	slipway area at Bowen	RAAF	Catalina	A24-24
8 May 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40E Kittyhawk	#41-365
12 May 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40 Kittyhawk	#41-35954
23 May 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	B-25 Mitchell	#41-29703
27 May 43	submerged reef near Bowen lighthouse	RAAF	Catalina	A24-48
28 May 43	Woodstock	USAAF	B-25D Mitchell	#41-30045 "The Round Robin"
4 Jun 43	Garbutt airfield	USAAF	B-26 Marauder	#40-1522
13 Jun 43	Garbutt aerodrome	RAAF	Spitfire	EE-954, pilot killed
13 Jun 43	Garbutt aerodrome	RAAF	Spitfire	JG-897
14 Jun 43	20 miles east of Townsville	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-295
22 Jun 43	Garbutt airfield	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	Major George S. Aubert killed
27 Jun 43	Charters Towers	USAAF	B-25D Mitchell	Collided with B-25 below, 11 killed overall.
27 Jun 43	Charters Towers	USAAF	B-25D Mitchell	Collided with B-25 above, 11 killed overall.
6 Jul 43	2 miles SW Bohle River airfield	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-264
10 Jul 43	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-229
11 Jul 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40 Kittyhawk	#41-35950
17 Jul 43	Garbutt aerodrome	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	#41-30324
17 Jul 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	C-47	#41-18568
21 Jul 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	B-25D Mitchell	#41-30275
abt Aug 43	Ross River airfield	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-443 (#42-104725)
5 Aug 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	B-25 Mitchell	#41-30183
5 Aug 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	C-47A Dakota	#42-23653
6 Aug 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	CW-22B	#65-3761
7 Aug 43	Into Cleveland Bay, Townsville	USAAF	C-47 Dakota	#41-7733, 27 killed
13 Aug 43	Breddan	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	A29-105
16 Aug 43	Ross River	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-383
17 Aug 43	Bowen	RAAF	Catalina	A24-24, 14 killed
29 Aug 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-38 Lightning	#42-66823
30 Aug 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-39F Airacobra	#41-7203
7 Sep 43	Cleveland Bay, Townsville	RAAF	Catalina	A24-52, 13 killed
14 Sep 43	Reid River	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	41-30410
14 Sep 43	Bowen	?	PBY-5 Catalina	2424, VP-101
23 Sep 43	Rattlesnake Island	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	possibly B-25G #42-64882 (1), M/Sgt. Helton, Major Robert P. Duncan and others killed
29 Sep 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40E Kittyhawk	#41-36244
1 Oct 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40E Kittyhawk	#41-36157
5 Oct 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-40N Kittyhawk	#42-105817
23 Oct 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	B-24J Liberator	#42-73120
24 Oct 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	A-20G	#42-54093
abt Nov 43	Aitkenvale	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-498 (#42-104720)
abt Nov 43	Breddan	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-202 (JL348), ground collision with A58-230 (see below)
abt Nov 43	Breddan	RAAF	F.VC Spitfire	A58-230 (LZ934), ground collision with A58-202 (see above)
12 Nov 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	O-47A	#37-282
20 Nov 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-47	#42-22656
20 Nov 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	L-4B Grasshopper?	#43-1033
22 Nov 43	on a mud flat near Garbutt airfield	USAAF	A-24	#41-15821
1 Dec 43	Townsville	USAAF	C-47A Dakota	?
1 Dec 43	Townsville	USAAF	C-47A Dakota	Collided with another C-47 (see below)
1 Dec 43	Townsville	USAAF	C-47A Dakota	Collided with another C-47 (see above)
4 Dec 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	A-20G	#42-54139
5 Dec 43 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	CW-22B	#3771
28 Dec 43	Mt. Elliott	USAAF	P-38J Lightning	#42-67604, The pilot was Capt. Bobby R. Taylor
abt Jan 44	mouth of Alligator Creek	USAAF	C-46 Curtis Commando	C46-?
12 Jan 44 (1)	FAFSC Depot No. 2 (Assumed Townsville)	USAAF?	P-40K Kittyhawk	#42-46285
20 Jan 44	APO 926 (Townsville)	USAAF?	Tiger Moth	#960
28 Jan 44	Unknown	USAAF	B-25G Mitchell	42-64881
5 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-47D	#42-22656
9 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	B-24D Liberator	#42-40510
14 Feb 44	Townsville harbour	RAAF	Seagull	A2-5
17 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-47D	#42-76035
18 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-47D	#42-22952
21 Feb 44	Port Moresby - Townsville	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	#41-30374
25 Feb 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	P-38J Lightning	#42-103994
before Mar 44	3 miles SE of Blue Range Cattle Station, 6 miles SE of Christmas Creek, 5 miles north of Clarke River Telegraph Station	USAAF	B-17 Flying Fortress	?
8 Mar 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	C-87 Liberator (VIP aircraft?)	#41-24160
21 Mar 44	5 miles south east of Fanning Airfield	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-452, 3 died
28 Mar 44	near Leichardt Creek, north of Bluewater Creek	USAAF	B-24J Liberator	#42-73483, 7 killed
8 Apr 44 (1)	Townsville	USAAF?	C-47A Dakota	#42-24396
abt Jun 44	near Giru	RAAF	LF.VIII Spitfire	A58-383 (JG415) crash landed
19 Jun 44	Aitkenvale airfield	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-704
abt Jul 44	Ross River strip	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-603 (#43-23205)
25 Sep 44	Townsville area	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	?
28 Nov 44	Townsville	RAAF	Short Sunderland flying boat	A26-6
abt Nov 44	Off Arcadia, Magnetic Island	USAAF	P-38 Lightning	?
4 Nov 44	Breddan	RAAF	Wirraway	?, collided with Vultee Vengeance (see below)
4 Nov 44	Breddan	RAAF	Vultee Vengeance	?, collided with Wirraway (see above)
abt Jan 45	Breddan airfield	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-480 (#42-104681)
24 Feb 45	Bowen	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-199
abt Mar 45	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	P-40M Kittyhawk	A29-330 (#43-5434)
abt Mar 45	Ross River	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-443
9 Mar 45	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	P-40M Kittyhawk	A29-335 #43-5652), collided with A29-342 (see below)
9 Mar 45	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	P-40M Kittyhawk	A29-342 (#43-5422), collided with A29-335 (see above)
11 Mar 45	north of Bowen	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-566
16 Mar 45	Alligator Creek - Crocodile Creek area	RAAF	Kittyhawk	A29-443
8 Apr 45	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-446 (#42-104728)
abt Apr 45	near Ross River airfield	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-1185 (#44-47805), collided with A29-1220 (see below)
abt Apr 45	near Ross River airfield	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-1220 (#44-47918), collided with A29-1185 (see above)
16 May 45	Garbutt	RAAF	Beaufighter	A19-207
4 Jul 45	Garbutt	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	? collided with Kittyhawk below
4 Jul 45	Bohle River	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	? collided with Kittyhawk above
7 Jul 45	Bohle River	RAAF	P-51 Mustang	A68-506
31 Jul 45	Garbutt	RAAF	Beaufighter, Mark 21	A8-126
abt Aug 45	Breddan	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-1200 (#44-47828)
5 Aug 45	Bohle River airfield	RAAF	Mustang	A68-546
7 Aug 45	Ross River airfield	RAAF	P-51K Mustang	A68-565 (#44-12512)
9 Aug 45	into the sea near Townsville between Bay Rock and West Point on Magnetic Island	RAAF	Mustang	A68-501
8 Sep 45	north of Townsville	USAAF	B-25 Mitchell	#43-4913
abt Oct 45	Breddan	RAAF	P-40N Kittyhawk	A29-1190 (#44-47811)
16 Oct 45	near Bohle River airfield	RAAF	P-40 N20 Kittyhawk	A29-481 (#42-104703)
abt Nov 45 *	Garbutt aerodrome	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-466
13 Nov 45	Garbutt	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-733 (ex A9-367)
18 Nov 45	Garbutt aerodrome	RAAF	Beaufighter	A19-51
21 Nov 45	Garbutt aerodrome	RAAF	B-24J	A72-340 (#44-28096) Force landing
abt Nov 45	Garbutt	RAAF	Beaufort	A9-733
Late 1945	Townsville	New Zealand	C-47 Dakota	?

23 May 46	Garbutt	RAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	A29-1123
25 Mar 47	Saddle Mountain (near Giru)	RAAF	Mosquito	A52-607, 2 killed

MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN AUSTRALIA DURING WORLD WAR 2
Australian Capital Territory	New South Wales
Northern Territory	Queensland
South Australia	Tasmania
Victoria	Western Australia
Norfolk Island	Unknown