Beaufort A9 - 228 CrashPrint Page

The plaque commemorates the crew of the Beaufort Bomber Air Crash who died near Eskdale in 1945. It is also dedicated to the searchers who never lost hope.

The Royal Australian Air Force (R.A.A.F.) Beaufort, A9-228, of No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU), left Mount Gambier at 5.33pm on 4 June 1945, headed for East Sale on a long range sea reconnaissance and night astro-navigation exercise. The aircraft was meant to head east for East Sale, but instead it headed north east. It flew over Albury in New South Wales. It circled Albury and and then flew in the direction of the Victorian Alps.

Several bearing adjustments were radioed to the aircraft from East Sale, but these were not acted on and the aircraft descended through the clouds. Radio transmissions had ceased at 8.15 pm. The aircraft slammed into the side of Mount Tawonga killing all the crew.

The R.A.A.F. searched for 5 days in the area where they suspected the crash may have occurred. Evidence at a Court of Inquiry indicated a possible aircraft crash on Mount Tawonga. This area had not been checked and relatives, with the aid of Lieutenant Richard Hamilton of the Volunteer Defence Corps started a search on Mount Tawonga. It only took them 2.5 hours to find the wreckage. The crew were buried at the military cemetery at Sale.

There was originally a monument at the crash site, however it was vandalised, and then souvenired, and is no longer there.

Location

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Dedication