FORCED LANDING OF A CG-4A GLIDER
BEHIND THE MOUNT MORGAN RAILWAY STATION, QLD
ON 4 SEPTEMBER 1943

On 4 September 1943, No. 4 VAOC reported the following incident in their Operations Record Book as follows:-

Rockhampton 4/9/43
1201 hours, message received from O.P. at MOUNT MORGAN that a Douglas C47 with glider had been circling the town and seemed to be in difficulties. In bad weather and with visibility practically zero due to low cloud, the glider was cast off at approx. 200 feet and crash landed on rough ground adjoining the Mount Morgan Railway Station at 1205 hours.

There were no major injuries as a result of the forced landing. After the glider was stripped of its instruments it was destroyed by fire.

Photo:- Captain Alonzo P. Mercier - The National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

The photo was captioned by Captain Mercier as follows:-
"Glider wreck near Rockhampton, Queensland Aus"

Gilder expert, Jim Moffett, provided the following comments on the above photograph:-

"The glider is indeed the correct type/year as the others assembled in Australia. Note the insignia roundel with star - early glider insignia of 1942 (as applied by Cessna who manufactured the gliders shipped to Australia), and the early production droppable tactical wheel/landing gear to the right of the crash (where the woman & child are) as opposed to the later fixed/shock absorber training gear that was used in favor of the drop-off gear. The glider is on its back - note the rear & front landing skids on top of the glider - when they should be on the bottom. The children at the left are next to what looks like a box, but is actually a glider seat/bench that sat three men. There were 4 of these in a glider to seat 12 soldiers, a jump/folding seat at the rear of the glider to seat 1 soldier, plus a pilot and co-pilot for a total of 15 men."

Photo:- Captain Alonzo P. Mercier - The National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

Early production droppable tactical wheel/landing gear

Photo:- Captain Alonzo P. Mercier - The National Museum of the
U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio

Children beside a glider seat/bench that sat three men

Gliders in the SWPA during WWII

REFERENCES

Mount Morgan Argus 4th - 18th July, 2013

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to than Gordon Birkett and Jim Moffett for their assistance with this web page.

I would also like to thank Richard F. Mercier, son of Captain Alonzo P. Mercier, 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 12 March 2018

This page last updated 25 July 2021