Crash of a Seafire at Barnawartha, Victoria on 8 August 1945

Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey William Schaffer RAAF 400837 was piloting Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm RNFAA Seafire PR228 when he crashed into a hill in bad weather near Barnawartha (about 14 miles west of Albury) after carrying out drop tank trials at Laverton. F/Lt Schaffer was killed in this tragic accident.

Cross on the grave of F/Lt G. W. Schaffer at
Benalla War Cemetery Plot C, Row B, Grave 5

F/Lt Schaffer had been attached to the Royal Naval Air Station Bankstown (Under 5 Maintenance Group ADHQ Sydney for Test and Ferry Duties) from 2 Aircraft Park, Richmond RAAF Station as a Senior Test Pilot since February 1945. Seafire PR228 had been in Australia since 24 November 1944.

Previously, after being commissioned on his return from the Far East in 1942, F/Lt Schaffer was a Staff and Instructor pilot (Wirraway, Spitfire and P-40) at 2OTU prior for some 26 months, since November 1942, after a short stint with 24 Squadron RAAF and Headquarters Townsville. He eventually filled the vacancy as acting OC of the Kittyhawk Squadron before he left for 2AP.

Prior to that, Schaffer was getting over a leg wound from his previous brush, as a Sergeant pilot, with the Japanese in Sumatra and Java in February 1942. He was a Hurricane IIB pilot with 232 Squadron RAF after being transferred ex 135 Squadron RAF 10 November 1941 in the Middle East (Which also eventually arrived in India in 1942). 232 Sqn RAF was ferried by Royal Navy aircraft carrier, HMS Indomitable, from Durban, South Africa, and its Hurricanes were flown off the deck. Although the ground echelon arrived in Singapore earlier, by the time the air echelon was within flying off range, there were no airfields left in British hands, so the squadron flew off to Java on 27 January 1942. Both echelons met up again on 2 February 1942 at Palembang in Sumatra, but a further withdrawal to Java was required following the Japanese invasion of Sumatra. By mid February 1942, the situation regarding serviceability was so grave, that 232 Squadron was merged with 242 Squadron and its ground crews were evacuated to Ceylon. Here they were re-allocated to other units and 232 Squadron ceased to exist on 25 February 1942.

Schaffer was evacuated to Australia per MV New Zealand via Ceylon circa 21 February 1942 with another future famous person or two, P/O John Gorton RAAF 400973 who crashed on 21 January 1942 in Hurricane IIb BE588, but later flew with 77 Squadron RAAF, and yet again crashed…..and Pilot Officer William Neil McCulloch also mended and flew with 1AD mid 1942 and later with 37 Squadron RAAF

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