CRASH OF A BEAUFIGHTER
NEAR BIRDSVILLE, QLD
ON AN UNKNOWN DATE

Subject:   Beaufighter Crash near Birdsville
Date:           Sun, 18 Jul 1999 04:04:00 +0930
From:          Brian Greenaway <bg@taunet.net.au>

What a great site....Hearty Congrats.

I did not notice mention of a Beaufighter crash near Birdsville. In 1948 I worked on Caddapan Station between Windorah and Birdsville and was fascinated with the tale told by Herb Rabig, eldest son of the owner who had served in England with RAAF during the war. He was flying mad still at that time.

Apparently a beaufighter had crashed somewhere near the property and he and a couple of others visited the site. They too one of the machine guns from the wing, straightened the barrel in a forge, mounted it on the cabin of a LendLease Ford truck, armed it with a belt of ammunition and set off after a mob of brumbies.

Several bursts from the machine gun did not hit any of the brumbies (approx 200 in a mob by the way) because the traces showed that the field of fire screwed around in all directions from the poorly straightend barrell. It was too dangerous and was eventually disposed of.

I worked for the American Red Cross canteen at Garbutt Drome during the forst 6 months of 1943. I remember one of of our Ace Pilots dropping his Spitfire (it was actually a Kittyhawk) down on the tarmac too hard and breaking his landing gear which was fixed by the RAAF blokes there. I used to go over during my lunch hour and sit in the cockpit. As a 13 year old it was a fascinating experience. I think the pilot was Bluey Truscott. Would that be correct?

Cheers,

Brian Greenaway
Darwin

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 25 March 2000

This page last updated 21 February 2020