CRASH OF AN AVRO ANSON
5 MILES WEST OF TANTANOOLA, SA
ON 14 OCTOBER 1942

Avro Anson AW849 of 2 Air Observers School 2 AOS, crashed and burnt 5 miles west of Tantanoola, in South Australia at 2115 hrs E.A.S.T. on Wednesday 14 October 1942 whilst returning from sea operations.

The crew of three was as follows:-0

Flying Officer Baxter Watson (411417) of 6 Service Flying Training School (6 SFTS) - The pilot who was killed
Sergeant John Harding Carroll (416243) - uninjured
Sergeant Richard Leonidas Ayres (409014) - slightly injured
 

John Nicholson told me in May 2009 that a memorial was unveiled at Tantanoola in May 2009 in memory of Flying Officer Baxter Watson who was killed in this tragic crash. John also advised that many fragments of aluminium had been found at the crash site in January 2007 along with intact 303 armour piercing and tracer bullets.

REFERENCES

RAAF Casualty Database

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Daniel Leahy and John Nicholson 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 21 December 2016

This page last updated 02 February 2020