Forced landing of a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Gannet on Mt Russell, near Canberra, Australian Capital Territory on 15 June 1942

FORCED LANDING OF A CAC GANNET
ON MOUNT RUSSELL, NEAR CANBERRA, ACT
ON 15 JUNE 1942

CAC Gannet Mark II, Serial No A14-5

Australian built CAC Gannet Mark II, Serial No A14-5 (LJW7) of 2nd Air Ambulance Unit RAAF (2AAU) made a forced landing after takeoff from Canberra airfield at 1325 hours EST on 15 June 1942 on a tree studded slope on Mount Russell, about half a mile from Canberra airfield in the Australian Capital Territory after its port engine failed.

Crew details were as follows:-

F/Lt. Bruce William Graham - Pilot - Fractured ankle
Sgt. Reginald Charles Kupsch (4369) - Fitter 2E - Normal
Sgt. John Paul Craig (19736) - Nursing Orderly - Fractured shoulder blade
Sgt Glenn Gullifer Smith (408530) - WT Operator - Shock

The aircraft was written off and was converted to components on 29 June 1942.

Photo:- Helen Wrest (nee Kupsch) via Dave Wheeler

Caption written on front of photo says"- Tree broken off here".

Photo:- Helen Wrest (nee Kupsch) via Dave Wheeler

An article appeared in the Canberra Times on 27 May 2013 describing how Bill Guard and his mates noticing an aircraft in trouble and eventually making a forced landing. They rushed to the site but were turned back by officials. Bill Guard later told his nephew Dave Wheeler that the aircraft was cordoned off when they arrived at the site on "the slopes of Mount Ainslie".

The boys waited till nightfall approached and managed to take some souvenirs from the crash site. Bill unscrewed an engine brass plate with a screw driver that he happened to have with him. Dave Wheeler has been attempting to identify the aircraft involved over the years and recently contacted David Ellery at the Canberra Times, who ran the article on the incident and sought assistance to identify the aircraft involved. The brass nameplate identifies that it was from Engine No. 4189. This engine number was the clue that was needed to identify the aircraft as Australian-built CAC Gannet Mark II, Serial No A14-5.