Crash of a Vultee Vengeance at Mascot Airfield in New South Wales on 28 February 1944

CRASH OF A VULTEE VENGEANCE
AT MASCOT AIRFIELD
SYDNEY, NSW
ON 28 FEBRUARY 1944

Vultee Vengeance, A27-409, of 3 Communication Unit RAAF, stalled and crashed on to Club Moth VH-UWB parked in front of a hangar at Mascot Airfield, in Sydney in New South Wales at approximately 2:55pm on 28 February 1944, killing the crew of the Vengeance as follows:-

F/Sgt. Donald Malcolm Whitwell (428841) - Pilot
P/O Robert Allan Batty (417784) - Navigator

Both are now buried at the Sydney War Cemetery.

Both aircraft were destroyed by fire. A27-409 was being used as a target drogue test aircraft. Club Moth VH-UWB was owned by the Royal Aero Club of NSW and was used for flying training.

F/Sgt Whitwell had been involved in an earlier taxying accident at Mascot aboard A27-405 on 28 January 1944.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Units of the Royal Australian Air Force - A Concise History"
"Volume 4 - Maritime and Transport Units"
by RAAF Historical

"Aussie Moths: De Havilland DH60 Moths in Australia"
by Bruce A. Winley

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Daniel Leahy and Bill Whale for their assistance with the web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products