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Date: | Tuesday 31 July 1945 |
Time: | 08:00 |
Type: | Consolidated B-24J Liberator |
Owner/operator: | 21 Sqn RAAF |
Registration: | A72-66 |
MSN: | |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing |
Location: | Missing from Morotai -
Indonesia
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Morotai |
Destination airport: | Lolobata |
Narrative:Liberator Aircraft A72-66 of No. 82 wing Detachment, Morotai, took off on an operational flight on the 31st July 1945, and failed to return to its base. Aircraft took off at 0800 0n 31st Julky 1945, as No.2 detail, to attack anti-aircraft positions at Lolobata in the Halmaheras. The weather encountered during the flight was generally poor with low clouds and heavy rain, and no word was heard from A72-66 from the time of take off nor were any sightings reported. Of the six aircraft taking part in this operation A72-66 was the only machine that failed to arrive at base. During the afternoon of the same day, five liberator and four spitfire aircraft took part in the search for the missing aircraft and the search for the missing aircraft was maintained for the following 3 days without success.
Sources:
Letter titled 'Presumption of death of Crew of Liberator Aircraft A72-66"
No address at top just "DPS"
and signed by Group Captain D.P.S Sgt.V.E. Hancock (I think) dated 3-8-46
http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a72.htm Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
27-Sep-2008 01:00 |
ASN archive |
Added |
08-Jun-2011 00:54 |
Anon. |
Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
05-Mar-2019 14:14 |
Cobar |
Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
29-Nov-2021 04:48 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Location, Damage] |
11-Dec-2021 23:10 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [Operator] |