CRASH OF A WIRRAWAY IN DIPPLE'S CREEK NEAR MUTDAPILLY,
ABOUT 10 MILES SW OF AMBERLEY AIRFIELD, QLD
ON 15 APRIL 1941

At approximately 1630 hours on 15 April 1941, Wirraway A20-169 of 3 Service Flying Training School 3SFTS at Amberley Airfield in south east Queensland, crashed in Dipple's Creek near Mutdapilly about 10 miles south west of Amberley Airfield. The Wirraway apparently dived into the ground whilst engaged in Air to Ground Gunnery Practice.

The two crew members from 3 SFTS at Amberley were both killed as follows:-

Sergeant Peter Blair McLaughlan (407063) - pilot
LAC Reginald Victor Harvey (406246)

Nearby residents noticed the aircraft in difficulties at about 4:30pm and saw it falling steeply towards the ground. The wreckage did not catch fire. They telephoned the authorities and an RAAF Ambulance and members of the Ipswich Police attended the crash site. The two bodies were taken to Ipswich in the Ambulance.

An inquiry into the cause of the two deaths commenced in the Ipswich Coroner's Court on Wednesday 11 June 1941. One of the witnesses stated:-

"In the course of the practice they had to dive from a height of 1500 to 2000 feet to about 200 feet to attack the site of the target from the plane. When the plane was at a low altitude it had turned sharply, had got out of control, and then crashed. He was satisfied, from his inquiries, that there was nothing suspicious about the incident."

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Ian Edwardson 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 27 October 2019

This page last updated 02 February 2020