Crash of a Boomerang at Gove in the Northern Territory on 22 May 1944

At 0920 hours on 22 May 1944, P/O Roy Eric Ayre (422095) of 83 Squadron RAAF took off in Boomerang A46-173 on a sector familiarisation and gunnery exercise flight with P/O Dal Scott Oliver (411176) in Boomerang A46-102.

At 0950 hours E.S.T., Boomerang A46-173 caught fire at 500 feet and crashed midway between Point Arrow Smith and Cape Shields in heavy timber inland from the beach about 80 air miles south of Gove. The wreckage burnt fiercely. When the crash site was inspected from the air, the aircraft was seen to be completely burnt out, with only wing tips, empinage and fuel tanks remaining with no sign of the pilot P/O Roy Eric Ayre (422095).

A Medical Officer and Engineer Officer proceeded to the site in a crash launch and arrived at about 1700 hours local time, the following day. The Medical Officer reported back that the pilot had died in the crash. The deceased was initially buried at the scene of the crash by the Squadron Medical Officer F/Lt Keith Franklin Drysdale Sweetman (252344) and Engineer Officer F/O Alfred William Bonham (1488) at approximately 1030 hours on 24 May 1944. Ayre's body was subsequently recovered and buried at the Adelaide River War Cemetery, Cemetery/memorial reference C.A.2.

The wreckage of Boomerang A46-173, ex 83 Squadron RAAF was recovered from its crash site many years ago and moved to a partially fenced compound at Nhulunbuy airport, at Gove. The photos below show this Boomerang wreckage at Nhulunbuy airport.

The remains of Boomerang A46-173, ex 83 Squadron RAAF which
caught fire in the air and crashed in 1944 killing the pilot Roy Ayre.

The remains of Boomerang A46-173, ex 83 Squadron RAAF. The machine guns
are still located in the wings. The Hispano cannons are also still on the ground.

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