CRASH OF A B-25D MITCHELL
AT HERVEYS RANGE
NEAR TOWNSVILLE, QLD
ON 31 DECEMBER 1942

Late on the morning of 31 December 1942, B-25D Mitchell, #41-29698, "The Bird Dog", piloted by Captain William R. "Red" Johnson, of the 90th Bomb Squadron of the 3rd Bomb Group, left Charters Towers for Townsville to pick up some friends, to bring them back to Charters Towers for a party in the newly completed Officer's Club. While returning to Charters Towers they struck some bad weather and crashed into a mountainside about 20 miles west of Townsville. Another source suggest it was 20 miles south of Townsville. The crash site was not located until 3 January 1943. One report suggest it may have occurred near Herveys Range, near Townsville. Private Coen from the 90th Bomb Squadron's Intelligence Section was listed on the passenger list but apparently did not board the aircraft.

On board were two members of the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron of the 374th Troop Carrier Group whom were killed. They were Captain John R. Linn  and 1st Lt. Malcolm E. Peterson.

The burial records for the US War Cemetery in Townsville shows the following records. I have assumed that they were all killed in the one crash:-

The following person was buried the following day. I originally thought he may have been involved in the same crash above.

On 12 May 2020, David John Barnes from the United Kingdom pointed me to a web called "West Virginia Memory Project" which shows that Neil J. Prunty (6274189) of the 4th Depot Repair Squadron died on 9 January 1943 as a result of falling off a moving truck and being run over by the truck.

1st Lt. Malcolm E. Petersen is buried at Plot C, Row 0, Grave 1223, Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu. Hawaii. He was awarded the Silver Star.

Captain Stephen Penler is buried in Plot A 664 at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Captain Robert M. Faris is buried in Section 8, of Oakwood Cemetery, Alton, Madison County, Illinois, USA

Photo:- USAAF, 5th AF, 3rd BG via Joseph Masiero Date:
1942 B&W via Gordon Birkett

Captain John R. Linn

John R. Linn, of Columbus Ohio was a co-pilot on the Royce Mission on 12 - 13 April 1942. He flew in B-25C "Boomerang" 41-12499 (as Co-Pilot) on a difficult mission on 26 July 1942. Later, Lt. Linn transferred to the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group. He was awarded the Silver Star. Malcolm E. Petersen (ex 17th Bomb Group) was also part of the Royce Mission commanding B-25C Mitchell #41-12472.

The Townsville Daily Bulletin of Monday 23 March 1953, reported on Page 1, that aircraft wreckage had been spotted in the Herveys Range area 20 miles west of Townsville.

The book "Red Dust Rising: The Story of Ray Fryer of Urapunga" by Ray Fryer and Marion Houldsworth, states on page 24 that a Mitchell bomber coming from Charters Towers to Townsville clipped the top of a hill not far from Ray Fryer's Tabletop Station Homestead at Herveys Range and exploded. The book indicates that about 6 or 8 Americans were killed. Two Blackhawk helicopters collided on 12 June 1996 at High Range Training Area, a short distance from the site of this WWII B-25 Mitchell crash site, tragically killing 18 Australian Army soldiers from the SAS and 5 Aviation Regiment.

REFERENCES

"Red Dust Rising: The Story of Ray Fryer of Urapunga"
by Ray Fryer and Marion Houldsworth

"History of the 22d Troop Carrier Squadron from 2 April 1942 to 31 January 1944"

West Virginia Memory Project - Neil J. Prunty

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank David John Barnes, Michael Musumeci and Gordon Birkett 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 31 May 2003

This page last updated 12 May 2020