COLLISION OF TWO BOOMERANGS
15 MILES NORTH EAST OF PARKES, NSW
ON 7 DECEMBER 1944

Boomerang

At 0710 hours on 7 December 1944, Boomerang A46-36 piloted by Flying Officer Harry John Kidd  (20531) and A46-32 piloted by Pilot Officer Arthur Watkins (435058) collided in mid-air during a Section Combat exercise during the breakaway from an attack on the target aircraft about 15 miles north east of Parkes airfield near Peak Hill in New South Wales. The location description in the official RAAF "Preliminary Report" on the crash states "15 miles N.E. Base near Peak Hill".

F/O Kidd appeared to have been thrown out of his aircraft and managed to open his parachute. He received minor abrasions and slight shock.

Both men and aircraft were attached to No. 8 Operational Training Unit (8 OTU).

Pilot Officer Arthur Watkins appeared to have left his burning aircraft but his parachute did not open and he was killed instantly when he hit the ground. P/O Watkins was buried at 1000 hours on 8 December 1944 in the War Service Section of Parkes Cemetery. His parents and his fiancee Miss Burton attended the funeral.

I was contacted by Ian Parker of Terrigal, NSW on 19 May 2019. Ian was born in Peak Hill in March 1939. On the day of this accident Ian was watching these aircraft from the front yard of their house in Peak Hill as they practiced "dog-fighting". He was 5 years of age but can remember it clearly. He did not see the actual collision but heard the "thump" of the impact. He looked up to see the aircraft falling and only one parachute. Peak Hill is 30 miles by road from Parkes and this happened almost over the town, so Ian thinks the description of "15 miles north-east of Parkes" is not quite accurate. He remembers being among local people who went not very far out of town to look at scattered wreckage. Some time later (Ian cannot recall how long ago) the surviving pilot, Flying Officer Harry John Kidd  (20531), came back and spoke at the local Anzac Day ceremony.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Cathy Bailey and Ian Parker for their assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 30 October 2010

This page last updated 27 January 2020