CRASH OF A B-17D FLYING FORTRESS
AT DALY WATERS, NT
ON 14 MARCH 1942

On 14 March 1942, B-17D Flying Fortress #40-3079 piloted by Captain Skiles crashed on landing at Daly Waters in the Northern Territory on the afternoon of 14 March 1942. The aircraft was completely destroyed. Staff Sergeant Collen W. Long (35000944) died from his injuries. Several crew members and passengers were injured as follows:-

Captain Skiles
2nd Lieutenant Robert L. Perry
Pfc. Harold S. Despsel
Pvt. Kenneth L. House

Lt Tarter took off from Laverton Airfield in LB-30 AL-515 on 15 March 1942, at 12:04pm to fly to Daly Waters to bring back members of Captain Skiles' crew and passengers to Laverton Airfield. They arrived back at Laverton Airfield at 1:50pm on 16 March 1942.

Staff Sergeant Collen W. Long (35000944) is shown as being buried at the US Cemetery at Rookwood in Sydney. His body would have later been exhumed and move to Redbank Mausoleum in Brisbane, Queensland by train and stored prior to be returned to Hawaii by ship. He was then buried in the Greenlawn Cemetery, Frankfort, Ross County, Ohio, USA.

REFERENCES

5th Bomber Command Journal (via Gordon Birkett)

Find A Grave - Staff Sergeant Collen W. Long

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett 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 23 July 2018

This page last updated 02 February 2020