CRASH OF A LIBERATOR
AT TOCUMWAL AIRFIELD , NSW
ON 19 JANUARY 1945

RAAF, B-24L Liberator, A72-123, (#44-41638), of 7 Operational Training Unit (7 OTU) crashed at Tocumwal Airfield at 1035 hours on 19 January 1945 after a failure of its starboard inner engine (No. 3 Engine). Flying Officer J. Major bought the Liberator in for an emergency landing. Unfortunately the undercarriage had not locked in properly and collapsed on landing. There were some injuries resulting from this accident.

There was a crew of three and passengers shown on the "Preliminary Report (Internal) of Flying Accident or Forced Landing" as follows:-

F/O J. Major - probably F/O John (421496) - pilot
W/O J. B. MacDonald
P/O H. Maberly-Smith
10 passengers - F/O Kevin Richard Toye (405802) plus 9 other unknown passengers

NOTE:- There is no J.B. McDonald in the WWII Nominal Roll. There is however a F/O John Barry McDonald (422621) which may or may not be him. I cannot find P/O H. Maberly Smith in the WWII Nominal Roll.

Five of the passengers were slightly injured.

This aircraft had been delivered in November 1944. It was converted to components.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Tocumwal to Tarakan"
"Australians and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator"
By Michael V. Nelmes

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 23 August 1999

This page last updated 21 February 2020