www.monumentaustralia.org.au

Beautiful BetsyPrint Page Print this page

07-February-2017
07-February-2017

Photographs supplied by John Huth

The scale replica of the bomber  "Beautiful Betsy" commemorates the loss of the United States Liberator Bomber of the 528th Bomb Squadron of the 380th Bomber Group. The plane which went missing in 1945 with the loss of eight lives. The wreckage was found in 1994.

USAAF B-24D-53-CO Liberator, #42-40387, "Beautiful Betsy", of the 528th Bomb Squadron of the 380th Bomb Group went missing on 26 February 1945 with the loss of 8 lives (6 American and 2 British service personnel). The Liberator was on a Fat Cat mission from Fenton to Eagle Farm airfield.

The wreckage of "Beautiful Betsy" was not discovered until 49 years later on 2 August 1994, when park ranger, Mark Roe, was checking the results of a controlled burn-off in the Kroombit Tops National Park, about 80 kilometres from Gladstone. Standing on an escarpment, he saw something glinting in the sunlight about 800 metres north of his location. He found the wreckage of "Beautiful Betsy" which had crashed on the side of an unnamed hillside.

Location

Address:20 Flinders Street, Monto Historical & Cultural Centre, Monto, 4630
State:QLD
Area:Foreign
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -24.863504
Long: 151.110821
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
View Google Map

Details

Monument Type:Monument
Monument Theme:Conflict
Sub-Theme:WW2
Actual Event Start Date:26-February-1945
Actual Event End Date:26-February-1945

Dedication

Front Inscription

Plaque :

B-24-D-CO "Beautiful Betsy" Serial Number 42 - 40387 crashed 26th February 1945.

Discovered 2nd August 1994 in Kroombit Tops National Park

Those who lost their lives

[ Names ]

We will remember them

Back Inscription

Beautiful Betsy

This 1 / 5th scale replica of the B24 Liberator Bomber "Beautiful Betsy" was built by members of the Monto Rotary Club.  "Beautiful Betsy" crashed at Kroombit Tops National Park on the 26th February 1945.

This project was made possible by the Regional Arts Development Fund which is a Queensland Government initiative through Arts Queensland and North Burnett Regional Council partnership to support local arts and culture.

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