CRASH OF AN A-20 HAVOC
INTO SEA HALF A MILE OFF MAGNETIC ISLAND, QLD
ON 29 MAY 1944

USAAF A20G-40-DO #43-21307 Havoc ditched off shore Magnetic Island on 29 May 1944.

On 29 May 1944, A.I.S. (?) advised No 3 Fighter Sector Headquarters in Townsville that A-20 Boston/Havoc #307 was one hour overdue. Enquiries were instituted and it was ascertained that Castle Hill was the only Volunteer Air Observer Corps post to see the aircraft depart. Later on Base Operations advised that one member of the crew had been picked up by a fisherman and taken to the US Navy Hospital at Rowes Bay. The position of the crash was given as 5 miles off Lucinda Point. The RAAF Crash Boat 08-12 from 40 Squadron RAAF was ordered out to search the vicinity for the other crew members. The aircraft was later located half a mile off Magnetic Island in 18 feet of water.

The Operations Record Book for 40 Squadron RAAF has the following entry:-

29.5.44  Marine Craft 08-12 instituted search for crashed Boston (sic Havoc) aircraft in sea off TOWNSVILLE and located same.

NOTE:- The above details of the crash are from the Operations Record Book of 3 Fighter Sector Headquarters based in Townsville. Is there a Lucinda Point on Magnetic Island? The Lucinda Point that I know is near the town of Lucinda which is about 90 kms north west of Townsville. So the report is a bit confusing. This was a USAAF A-20 Havoc rather than an RAAF A-20 Boston.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett, Keith Hopper, and Michael Claringbould 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 20 July 2014

This page last updated 06 February 2023