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Avro Anson AW 849Print Page Print this page

04-August-2014 (Graeme Saunders)
04-August-2014 (Graeme Saunders)

Photographs supplied by Graeme Saunders / Stephen Warren
The memorial commemorates the crew of the Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) Avro Anson AW 849 which crashed and burned 5 miles west of Tantanoola after from returning from a mission searching for an enemy submarine in October 1942.

The aircraft was returning from an intensive sea search operation following a report from this unit of an enemy submarine. The crew were attached to 2 Air Observation School and based at the RAAF station in Laverton, Victoria. The aircraft crashed after running out of fuel due to a navigation error. The 2 crew members parachuted to safety, but the pilot, Flight Officer Baxter Watson, was killed in the crash. The aircraft burned after crashing.

Location

Address:Railway Terrace East, Tantanoola, 5280
State:SA
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -37.696685
Long: 140.455738
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:14-October-1942
Actual Event End Date:14-October-1942

Dedication

Approx. Monument Dedication Date:May-2009
Front Inscription

Erected In Memory Of The Crew Of RAAF Anson AW 849
Which Crashed 5 Miles West Of Tantanoola On 14 October 1942
         The One Airman Killed Was.  

     411417 PO BAXTER WATSON
     Aged 27, Sydney NSW
The Two Airmen Who Escaped By Parachute Were 

408014 SGT RICHARD L. AYERS
      Aged 33 Of Narung SA
    416243 SGT JOHN H. CARROL
     Aged 21 Of Adelaide SA
The Aircraft Was Returning From A Sea Search Operation
Authorised By A.O.R. Whereby An Intensive Search Was Being
Carried Out Following A Report From This Unit Of An Enemy
Submarine.  The Crew At The Time Were Attached To RAAF Station
Laverton. The Cause Of The Crash Was Due To Errors In
Navigation Resulting In Exhaustion Of Fuel.

Source: MA
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au