COLLISION OF TWO WIRRAWAYS
NEAR BANKSTOWN AIRFIELD, NSW
ON 29 APRIL 1943
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

At about 1535 hours E.S.T., Wirraway A20-176 and Wirraway A20-98, both of 24 Squadron RAAF, collided near Bankstown Airfield on 29 April 1943 during tactical formation flying. The probable cause noted in the "Preliminary Report (External) of Flying Accident or Forced Landing" was due to "poor technique and error of judgment".

Wirraway A20-176
Sgt. Louis Alexander Stevens (405608) - pilot uninjured
Sgt. Berte Dempsey (409790) - uninjured

Wirraway A20-98
Sgt. Owen Joseph McKenna (418004) - Pilot uninjured
Sgt. John Charles Weir Patrick (403816) - killed

Sgt Stevens and Sgt Dempsey in Wirraway A20-176 made a heavy forced landing at Bankstown airfield, and the aircraft suffered the following damage:-

• bent airscrew,
• oil cooler buckled,
• port main plain damaged,
• starboard wing slightly damaged,
• centre section and tank badly mutilated

The damaged aircraft went to Clyde Engineering for repairs and modification to Dive-Bomber specifications. It was then allocated and issued to 5 SFTS on 28 October 1943

REFERENCES

ADF Serials web site

PATRICK, John Charles Weir - (Flight Sergeant); Service Number - 403816;
File type - Casualty - Repatriation;
Aircraft - Wirraway A20-98;
Place - Bankstown, NSW; Date - 29 April 1943

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Chris Adam for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 2 June 2020

This page last updated 03 June 2020