CRASH OF SQDN. LDR. TRUSCOTT'S KITTYHAWK
NEAR TOWNSVILLE, QLD
ON 19 JULY 1942

visits since 27 March 2000

Kittyhawk

The famous Squadron Leader Keith "Bluey" Truscott of 76 Squadron RAAF damaged his P-40 Kittyhawk A29-85 ("Y" for Wurry) near Townsville on 19 July 1942.

Photo:- via Tony Porter

Bardie Wawn, Blue Truscott DFC & Bar, Peter Turnbull DFC

Bryan Head of Murwillumbah advised me on 8 April 2000 that this accident happened on 19 July 1942 and that Truscott's aircraft was involved in a collision with Kittyhawk A29-71 (#41-5632).

Kittyhawk A29-71 was later written off in a crash in Victoria in January 1945.

Death of Squadron Leader "Bluey" Truscott

Subject:   Beaufighter Crash near Birdsville
Date:           Sun, 18 Jul 1999 04:04:00 +0930
From:          Brian Greenaway <bg@taunet.net.au>

What a great site....Hearty Congrats.

I did not notice mention of a Beaufighter crash near Birdsville. In 1948 I worked on Caddapan Station between Windorah and Birdsville and was fascinated with the tale told by Herb Rabig, eldest son of the owner who had served in England with RAAF during the war. He was flying mad still at that time.

Apparently a beaufighter had crashed somewhere near the property and he and a couple of others visited the site. They too one of the machine guns from the wing, straightened the barrel in a forge, mounted it on the cabin of a LendLease Ford truck, armed it with a belt of ammunition and set off after a mob of brumbies.

Several bursts from the machine gun did not hit any of the brumbies (approx 200 in a mob by the way) because the traces showed that the field of fire screwed around in all directions from the poorly straightend barrell. It was too dangerous and was eventually disposed of.

I worked for the American Red Cross canteen at Garbutt Drome during the first 6 months of 1943. I remember one of of our Ace Pilots dropping his Spitfire (it was actually a Kittyhawk) down on the tarmac too hard and breaking his landing gear which was fixed by the RAAF blokes there. I used to go over during my lunch hour and sit in the cockpit. As a 13 year old it was a fascinating experience. I think the pilot was Bluey Truscott. Would that be correct?

Cheers,

Brian Greenaway
Darwin

REFERENCE BOOK

"Aircraft of the RAAF 1921- 71"
By Geoffrey Pentland & Peter Malone

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 13 July 1998

This page last updated 12 April 2005