CRASH OF A BRISTOL BEAUFORT
AT EAST SALE
ON 9 OCTOBER 1943

Bristol Beaufort

On 9 October 1943, RAAF Mark VA Bristol Beaufort A9-152 of No. 1 OTU landed short of the runway, bounced and then hit the runway at East Sale after the pilot lost sight of the flare path in ground mist. The crew of the aircraft was as follows:-

F/Sgt. A.K. Morrell
Sgt. E.H.T. Platt
Sgt. L. Grinblat
Sgt. J.F. Hunt

This aircraft was originally delivered to the RAAF in October 1942. It was converted to components after this crash. The nose section of this aircraft was under restoration at Moorabbin Museum in Victoria. In 2000 the nose section was acquired by the Australian War Memorial to aid in the restoration of their Mk VIII Beaufort, A9-557. It will be used as a pattern for the reconstruction of A9-557's nose.

REFERENCE

Flightpath, Volume 12, Number 1, Page 15.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I'd like to thank Rick Hanning for his assistance with most of the above information.

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 10 March 2000

This page last updated 22 February 2020