CRASH OF A B-24 LIBERATOR
AT FENTON AIRFIELD, NT
ON 25 AUGUST 1943

B-24 Liberator, "Alley Oop", #41-24248, being checked
by maintenance staff at Fenton airfield in June 1943

USAAF B-24D-25-CO Liberator, "Alley Oop", #41-24248, of the 530th Bomb Squadron of the 380th Bomb Group, crashed at Fenton airfield on 25 August 1943 killing four men. The aircraft had arrived at the Squadron on 8 August 1943.

380th Bomb Group Commanding Officer, Lt Col Bill Miller had taken RAAF AVM Cole and his staff to Brisbane for a conference with V Bomber Command. They were dropped at Batchelor late on the 25th August 1943 and Lt. Col. Miller let the co-pilot, 1st Lt Joe Vick do the Fenton landing. He was low and clipped a tree in the darkness and crashed.

Killed were:-

Captain Samuel S Poor Jr (Group Adjutant)
Colonel Edward F Shepherd, 5th AF Quartermaster Corps,
Flight Officer Raymond E. Siple Jr.
Technical Sergeant Clifford D. Cater

NARA Signal Corps Photo GHQ-SWPA-SC-43-10321

Burial ceremony in honour of the four crew members at the Adelaide River Cemetery, Northern
Territory on 27 August 1943. The coffins are those of left to right:- T/Sgt Clifford D. Cater,
Captain Samuel S. Poor, Colonel Edward F. Shepherd and Flight Officer Raymond Siple.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Tocumwal to Tarakan"
"Australians and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator"
By Michael V. Nelmes

"King of the Heavies - 380th Bomb Group 1942 - 1945"
by Glenn R. Horton Jr. & Gary L. Horton

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Bob Livingstone for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 19 August 1999

This page last updated 21 February 2020