Accident Consolidated Liberator Mk VI KL491,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 309465
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Saturday 1 September 1945
Time:
Type:Silhouette image of generic B24 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Consolidated Liberator Mk VI
Owner/operator:99 Sqn RAF
Registration: KL491
MSN: ex.44-49097
Fatalities:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Sungei Ron POW Camp, Palembang, South Sumatra. -   Indonesia
Phase: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAAF Cocos (Keeling) Islands Airport (YPCC)
Destination airport:YPCC
Narrative:
Liberator KL491 (ex.44-49097) : "Crew had just dropped some magazines and a handwritten note of encouragement" to allied POWs being held at the not-yet-liberated Sungei Ron POW Camp in Palembang, Indonesia. KL491 was seen "to come in at low level, make a steep banking turn, and side-slip into the ground". Prisoners recalled hearing small arms fire prior to the crash, but it could not be determined if Japanese fire contributed to the crash. All eight RAF crew were killed instantly and were buried at the Jakarta War Cemetery
Crew:
F/Sgt Donald Stewart BOWDEN (1589064) Bomb Aimer RAFVR: killed
F/O John Frank MANKTELOW (166.106) Pilot RAFVR: killed
F/Sgt John MARTIN (1570492) Air Gunner RAFVR: killed
F/Sgt George William NEWTON (1513718) WOp RAFVR: killed
F/Sgt Jack PARKES (1543238) WOp RAFVR: killed
F/O Alec William PEARSON (166.433) Nav. RAFVR: killed
W/O Thomas Henry John RYALLS (1892034) Flt Eng. RAFVR: killed
F/O John Edwin Hosking STEELE (173.037) Pilot RAFVR: killed

Sources:

1."Prisoner of Nippon" by Ray W. Stubbs
2.CWGC

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
03-Jul-2023 02:07 Ron Averes Updated

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org