CRASH OF A BOOMERANG
INTO THE SEA NEAR SCARBOROUGH,  WA
ON 21 AUGUST 1943

Boomerang A46-122 "Suzy-Q"

Boomerang A46-34 of 85 Squadron RAAF, crashed into the sea near Scarborough in Western Australia. The pilot, F/Sgt G.H. Williams, had stalled the aircraft after pulling out of a steep dive. 

P/O John Doyle stated "I was flying alongside Geoff Williams off Scarborough Beach when his left wing tip hit the water. The aircraft spun around then sunk. I rang up Fighter Sector while flying back to Guildford. They asked me to return and circle the sunken aircraft. This I did and identified and waved to Geoff in wet khakis and on the beach and of course could not believe he had been rescued and was on the shore. The aircraft sustained a damaged centre section spar".

Geoff Williams stated "When I settled on the bottom under water and still strapped into the cockpit, I thought, this is to be the next world. I realised I could release the safety harness and undid the same and rose to the surface with a push and was rescued by a nearby fishing boat."

REFERENCE BOOKS

"The Flying Inventor"
By Alan Mitchell

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 22 September 2003

This page last updated 03 February 2020