ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 264652
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| Date: | Saturday 31 March 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Bristol Beaufighter Mk 21 |
| Owner/operator: | 31 (City of Wagga Wagga) Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | A8-104 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Minor |
| Location: | sea Maroekoe Strait near Amboina island, -
 Indonesia
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAAF Wama Airstrip, Morotai |
| RAAF Wama airstrip |
Beaufighter A8-104 (31 Sqdn RAAF)
Beaufighter A8-33 Hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire in port engine and mainplane, gradually lost height and ditched Maroekoe Strait near Amboina at 07:23 hrs 31/03/1945
Crew: A8-33
W/O (Aus.428805) Ross Kevin ROBERTS (pilot) RAAF - Ok
F/Sgt (Aus.430969) Basil Wright PHILLIPS (nav.) RAAF - injured
Accompanying Beaufighter A8-89 (Pilot: P/O K. W. Sounness & Nav F/O G R Cant) radioed for air-sea rescue and circled until approximately 10:00 hrs when relieved by A8-6 (Pilot F/O Edwards & Nav F/O D.I. Beasley) and A8-104 (Pilot P/O T.W. Ellis & Nav P/O Coleman) who took up station until Catalina A24-109 piloted by F/Lt W. Mills of 113 ASR Flight landed on the water at 11:15 hrs just 300m from shore.
The Catalina suddenly came under fire from a camouflaged Japanese watercraft and its blister guns returned fire. Both Beaufighters commenced strafing the shoreline. An engine of A8-104 was disabled by Japanes ground fire but continued to strafe until the Catalina A24-109, which was slightly damaged, had taken off. The crew of A8-33 were successfully rescued and the Navigator recovered from his injuries.
Crew: A8-104
P/O (Aus.420868) Thomas William ELLIS DFC (pilot) RAAF - Ok
P/O (O5870) Eric Barrington COLEMAN (nav.) RAAF - Ok
Sources:
http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/index.php?qname=&qdate=&tdate=&qunit=30+Sqdn
http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a8.htm
Beaufighter production list
ORB 31 Sqdn RAAF
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Jun-2021 12:13 | Nepa | Added [Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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