CRASH OF A TIGER MOTH
16 KMS NORTH OF NHILL AIRFIELD, VIC
ON 4 MAY 1945

At approximately 10:05am on 4 May 1945 Flying Officer Keith Schofield (14937) of 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU) was killed when his Tiger Moth A17-751 of  the Air Armament and Gas School (A.A. & G.S.) at Nhill in Victoria crashed 10 miles north of Nhill airfield. The pupil on board was LAC John Francis Considine (441907) who was seriously injured with a fractured left femur, fractured left tibia and fibula severe shock and generalised bruises and abrasions. The aircraft struck the ground in full flight whilst carrying out training circuits and precautionary flying training.

Photo:- NAA file via Daniel Leahy

Flying Officer Keith Schofield (14937)

A Service was was held at St Georges Church of England Church at Nhill at 1345 hours on 7 May 1945 which was followed by a military Service Funeral. Flying Officer Schofield was buried in Grave No. A/A/6 in the War Service Section of Nhill Cemetery at approximately 1445 hours on 7 May 1945. Keith Schofield was born at Cobar on 23 May 1916.

It is believed that Flying Officer Schofield was not strapped in and fouled the control column in the front cockpit.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Brief History of the Nhill Airforce Base"
by Stephen J. Purchase

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Mike Kingwell and Rick Hanning for their assistance with this home page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 18 May 2001

This page last updated 03 February 2020