COLLISION OF TWO TIGER MOTHS
AT NILE RELIEF LANDING GROUND, TAS
ON 25 JULY 1943

British Built DH-82 Tiger Moth N6903 collided with Tiger Moth A17-85 at Nile Relief Landing Ground 7.5 miles south of Western Junction in Tasmania at about 1200 hours E.S.T. on 25 July 1943. Both trainees were receiving dual instruction in cross wind landings and take offs. The Instructors made an approach at approximately 45 degrees on either side of the wind and both aircraft collided in the centre of the airfield.

 Neither of the crews from 7 Elementary Flying Training School 7 EFTS were injured:-

Tiger Moth N.6903
Frank Clyffe Bailey (423584) - Pilot
Garth Austin Bear (430432) - Crew

Tiger Moth A17-85
Raymond Edward Thomas (424242)
Arthur James Bolitho (428617)

The Probable Cause of the accident was listed as "Failure of both Instructors to keep sufficiently good lookout."

NOTE:- A file in NAA shows that Tiger Moth A17-903 collided with A17-85 at Nile Relief Landing Ground 7.5 miles south of Western Junction in Tasmania on 25 July 1943. Gordon Birkett has advised that this NAA accident file is incorrect. It should read as Tiger Moth N6903. It would have had the last three numbers 903 painted on the fuselage which is where the confusion has occurred. Not to be confused with Australian built DH-82A Tiger Moth DHA903 (A17-903).

DH-82 Tiger Moth N6903 crashed at
 Archerfield Airfield on 2 December 1941

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 13 June 2021

This page last updated 13 June 2021