Date unknown - Crash landing of a Mitchell at Cairns Airfield

DATE UNKNOWN
CRASH LANDING OF A B-25 MITCHELL
AT CAIRNS AIRFIELD, QLD

visits since 21 February 2005

Vera Bradley's book, "I Didn't Know That", refers on page 49 to some reminisces of Corporal Ken Hutchinson of RAAF North-Eastern Area, Advanced Operational Base (AOB) at Cairns airfield.

"Another incident involved a B-25 Mitchell Bomber which could not clear the flood leverage bank at the end of the drome, clipped its wings and crash landed in the mangrove swamp just south of the drome. The lads from the Ack Ack Battery nearby were the first on the scene and hacked into the side of of the plane with axes to free the crew. There was only one injured, a gash to the side of his face - it was not known if this was caused by the crash or the axe-wielding rescuers. We used this crashed plane as a warning to many other US men who wanted to fly out with their aircraft overloaded. The remains of this plane lay in the mud near the highway at Salt Water Creek for many years after the war."

cairns01.jpg (37224 bytes)

This one ran out of dirt at Cairns. Photo courtesy of S. Adshead

The above photo is on page 49 of Vera Bradley's book, near the above information on the crash of the B-25 Mitchell and details of a few other crashes. The above photo is of B-26 Marauder #40-15333 which crashed on landing at Cairns on 5 July 1942.

None of the crashes mentioned on Page 49 refer to a B-26 Marauder. They refer to a Kittyhawk, a Liberator, a Boston and a Mitchell. Is it possible that Corporal Ken Hutchinson was talking about the crash of the B-26A?

REFERENCE BOOKS:-

"I Didn't Know That"
"Cairns and Districts, Tully to Cape York, 1939-1946,
Service Personnel and Civilians"
By Vera Bradley (1943 AAMWS)

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

Why not join my Discussion List
on Military Aircraft Crashes in
Australia during World War Two

To subscribe send an e-mail to

OzCrashes-subscribe@topica.com