CRASH OF A VULTEE VENGEANCE
IN PRINCESS CHARLOTTE BAY AREA, QLD
ON 12 JUNE 1944
Mk 4 Vultee Vengeance A27-534 (41-31442) was forced to ditch in the Princess Charlotte Bay area of far north Queensland about 10 miles south of Port Stewart after an engine failure on 12 June 1944. The aircraft was being ferried by a 23 Squadron RAAF pilot attached to 13 ARD from Higgins Airfield to Garbutt Airfield in Townsville.
The crew, as follows, were uninjured in this forced landing:-
F/Lt Robert Gray Marshall (400097) - Pilot
Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Cyril David Warren (261960)
When the aircraft did not arrive at Cooktown enquiries were made and it was eventually assumed it had crashed somewhere. Arrangements were then made between Higgins Operations Room and 13 Squadron RAAF to search the area the following morning. Two Beauforts searched between Higgins Airfield and Iron Range and a Lockheed Ventura searched the area between Cooktown and Iron Range. The downed Vultee Vengeance was spotted by the Lockheed Ventura A59-63 and water and supplies were dropped to the two survivors.
Photo:- Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Warren via his son Mark Warren
Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Cyril David Warren standing beside Vultee Vengeance A27-534
Photo:- Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Warren via his son Mark Warren
Sqn Ldr Geoffrey Warren standing on the wing of Vultee Vengeance A27-534
The two survivors were picked up by Walrus X9559 piloted by F/Sgt Walter Burford Bernie (428901) from No. 5 Communications Flight at Garbutt Airfield on 13 June 1944. F/Sgt Bernie flew them to No. 27 OBU where they stayed the night and travelled to Townsville the next morning. (5 Communications Flight ORB states that the Walrus returned to Townsville on 16 June 1944). Sqn Ldr Warren Service Records show the following entries:-
12 Jun 1944 Force landed Princess Charlotte Bay dept. 14 Jun 1944, arrived Cooktown 15. 6. 44, ret. Townsville by air 15. 6. 44
F/Sgt Bernie was later killed in the crash of the same Walrus X9559 in a landing accident on Karasau Island, near New Guinea on 25 October 1944. The two other occupants in Walrus X9559 survived that crash.
Photos:- Mrs Chris Ros
A photo of the wreckage taken by Mrs. Chris Ros in the 1960s.
Photo:- Jim Parker
The remains of Vultee Vengeance A27-534 were recently rediscovered by Jim Parker
NOTE:- 27 OBU Operations Record Book entry for 13 June 1944 reads as follows:-
"Aircraft A27-254 (should be A27-534) forced down on beach 10 miles South of Port Stewart. Pilot F/Lt Marshall and passenger S/L Warren were rescued and returned to GARBUTT. See Appendix 1."
27 OBU ORB states the 13 June 1944 rather than 12 June 1944 and also quotes a different aircrafts serial number. The "Aircraft Accident Data" card for A27-534 states that it crashed into sea on 12 June 1944 with pilot S/Ldr Warren. So as you can see, a lot of misinformation. The misquoted A27-254 actually belly landed on a runway at Oodnadatta Airfield during takeoff on 17 July 1943.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Mrs. Chris Ros, Mark Warren, Michael Musumeci, Gordon Birkett and Jim Parker for their assistance with this web page.
Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?
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This page first produced 26 July 2015
This page last updated 02 February 2023