MID-AIR COLLISION OF TWO BOOMERANGS
20 MILES WEST OF MILDURA
ON 1 JUNE 1944

At 1145 hours E.S.T. on 1 June 1944, two RAAF Boomerangs of 2 Operational Training Unit (2 OTU) at Mildura collided in mid-air about 20 miles west of Mildura airfield in Victoria during a camera gun exercise. Both aircraft were completely destroyed by fire and both pilots were killed:-

Boomerang A46-14
Flying Officer Roger Byrne (419791)

Boomerang A46-44
Flying Officer Alfred Sydney Knapman (400806)

Photo supplied by Rick Hanning

Recent photograph of the remains of Boomerang A46-14

The following information is from the Commonwealth War Graves site:-

In Memory of

ROGER BYRNE

Flying Officer
419791
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Thursday, 1st June 1944. Age 26.

Son of Richard Thomas Patrick and Mary Byrne, of Albert Park

Cemetery: MILDURA PUBLIC CEMETERY, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: . Plot C. Row B. Grave ll.

In Memory of

ALFRED SYDNEY KNAPMAN

Flying Officer
400806
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Thursday, 1st June 1944. Age 26.

Son of Alfred Edgar and Constance Lena Knapman-husband of Florence Joy Knapman, of East Kew.

Cemetery: MILDURA PUBLIC CEMETERY, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: Plot C. Row B. Grave 8.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Rick Hanning of Churchill, Victoria for the above information on this accident.

I'd also like to thank Jenny Davis, a niece of Alfred Sydney Knapman.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 17 July 2000

This page last updated 03 February 2020