COLLISION OF TWO SPITFIRES
10 MILES ENE OF STRAUSS AIRFIELD, NT
ON 13 JANUARY 1944

Spitfire

On 13 January 1944 F.VC Spitfire A58-63 (BS164) collided with F.VC Spitfire A58-214 (LZ845) of 54 Squadron RAF about 10 miles E.N.E. of Strauss airfield in the Northern Territory.

The collision resulted in the tail unit of A58-63 coming off and the main plane of A58-214 being torn off. The Spitfires had been on a non-operational co-operational flight with some Bombers. Both pilots were killed as follows:-

F/Sgt. John Hoyle. Whalley (1527082) pilot of A58-63
F/Sgt. J.B. Gibbs (1320096) pilot of A58-214

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Rick Hanning for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 24 May 2007

This page last updated 02 February 2020