CRASH OF AN AVRO ANSON
NEAR WON WRON, VIC
ON 21 MAY 1943

Avro Anson W2253 with a crew of six took off from General Reconnaissance School at Bairnsdale on the 21 May 1943. Whilst flying at 1700 feet in very poor visibility the aircraft crashed into a tree near Won Wron about 70 miles south west of Bairnsdale. Apparently this is near Carrajung Lower, which is about halfway between Traralgon and Yarram.

Sgt Ian Laddie DUNCAN (415772) - Pilot
Sgt Ira Steve BENSLEY (413514)
Sgt Gregory Carlisle LAWRENCE (422081)
Sgt John James DENMEADE (422346)
LAC Ronald Wilson MURPHY (48223)
LAC George Charles ADAMS (40393)

All of the crew were killed except Sgt Ira Bensley who was seriously injured and ended up in the Yarram hospital, and fully recovered. He revisited Yarram in 1974, and Peter Stone (see below) corresponded with Ira in Sydney in 1995. John Keane of Hughesdale, VIC also has been in contact with Ira. The aircraft was written off.

Sgt John James Denmeade (422346)

The court of inquiry found that the pilot Sgt Ian Duncan was to blame for piloting the aircraft in such poor visibility and at times in cloud at a height insufficient to clear the surrounding terrain. Sgts Lawrence and Denmeade who being responsible for safe navigation failed to take sufficient precautions to ensure its safety by checking their D.F. navigation by D.F. fixes, and also failed to take advantage of all aids available to them under the circumstances.

All five of the crew killed now lay side by side in Bairnsdale War Cemetery.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank John Williams for his assistance with this web page.

Many thanks to Peter Stone from Yarram in Victoria for providing me with information on the above crash. Peter wrote a local history book called "Splendid Isolation" about the Yarram and District Health Service in which the above crash is mentioned. John Keane also provided me with some information on this crash.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 24 September 2019

This page last updated 20 September 2020