2 JULY 1944
CRASH OF A BEAUFORT BOMBER
NEAR HIGGINS FIELD, QLD

Bristol Beaufort

RAAF Beaufort bomber, A9-377 of 7 Squadron, crashed 2 miles east of the north western end of the runway at Higgins Field at 0508 hours Eastern Standard Time on 2 July 1944. The following RAAF personnel, were buried at the Townsville War Cemetery:-

Flight Sergeant John William Bracken - Pilot (423608)
Flight Sergeant Andrew Frank (427618)
Flying Officer Thomas Albert Charles Daymond (429762)
Flight Sergeant Lionel Ernest James Parkes (413323)

Higgins Field, previously known as Jacky Jacky and sometimes called Red Point, was located near the tip of Cape York Peninsula. On 3 June 1943, Lieutenant General Kenney renamed it Higgins Field in honour of Flight Lieutenant Brian Hartley Higgins, 400620, RAAF, killed on air operations on 25 May 1943.

The "Preliminary Report of Flying Accident or Forced Landing", RAAF Form P.T. 81, Serial No. 90 for period 1944/45 gives the "Nature of Accident" as follows:-

"Travel flight.  Aircraft dived into ground at sharp angle from about 300-ft, having completed normal turn down wind after take-off.  Engine revs. heard to increase considerably just before crash.  Light rain and low ceiling at time."

The "Probable Cause" is given as "Unknown". A9-377 had been delivered to the RAAF in July 1943.

NOTE:- I also received information on the above crash from a list of aircraft crashes compiled by Bruce Stewart from a series of books called "Aircraft in Australian Service" by Stewart Wilson.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Diary of WWII - North Queensland"
Complied by Peter Nielsen

"Aircraft and Markings of the RAAF 1939 - 1945"
By Geoffrey Pentland

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 9 February 1999

This page last updated 02 February 2020