CRASH OF A P-40 WARHAWK
AT TOWNSVILLE, QLD
ON 16 JANUARY 1942

On 16 January 1942, a USAAF P-40E Warhawk #40-663 (Plane No. 9 or was it 6) piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Bryan W. Brown (0-421035) of the 17th Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) crashed at Townsville in north Queensland. 2nd Lt Brown later transferred to the 3rd Pursuit Squadron. The Warhawk was repaired by 24 Squadron RAAF and test flown on 31 January 1942. 2nd Lt Wilhite Bryce O-427674 ex 33rd Pursuit Squadron (Prov) was sent up to Townsville from Amberley to ferry it to Amberley Airfield. It ended up at Archerfield.

2nd Lt. Bryan Brown was involved in a later crash in a P-40 Kittyhawk at Daly Waters in the Northern Territory on 6 February 1942.

P-40E Warhawk #40-663 was later allocated to the RAAF and became P-40E Kittyhawk A29-76 coded “T” with 75 Squadron RAAF. It was damaged in combat, chased all over Port Moresby by Zeros and then ditched in Port Moresby Harbour on 24 April 1942 when flown by Flt. Sgt. Robert “Bob” W. Crawford who survived the war. He died in the 2000’s.

REFERENCE

Every Day a Nightmare
American Pursuit Pilots in the Defense of Java, 1941-1942
by William H. Bartsch

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to than Gordon Birkett and Buz Busby 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 3 September 2010

This page last updated 05 December 2021