Date unknown - located wreckage of a B-17 Flying Fortress in water off Cape Sandwich, Hinchinbrook Island

DATE UNKNOWN
LOCATED WRECKAGE OF A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
IN WATER OFF CAPE SANDWICH AREA
HINCHINBROOK ISLAND, QLD

On a date unknown, the wreckage of a USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress was located in water 1/2 mile off shore in the Cape Sandwich area on Hinchinbrook Island.

Was this really a B-17? Could it have been a B-24 Liberator perhaps.

Brian Carr has been diving an aircraft wreck near Cape Sandwich on the north eastern end of Hinchinbrook Island for a few years. Brian has taken some video footage a while ago, and has placed it on YouTube. He believes that it is a B-24 Liberator wreck. Could this reference below be linked to this aircraft wreckage near Cape Sandwich on Hinchinbrook Island?

Fifth Air Force
V Air Force Service Command
59th Service Group
November 1944

Headquarters
14th Emergency Rescue Boat Squadron
APO 72

Unit History, Month of December 1944

In addition to the other routine missions in the near vicinity, a rescue was made by the last of our boats enroute from Australia to New Guinea and The Philippines. The P-363, under Lt. Ogilvie and crew rescued the crew of a B-24 from Hinchinbrook Island near Townsville. A C-47 buzzed them and dropped a message streamer indicating the location. Within 1 hour and 40 minutes the six survivors were aboard and headed for Townsville and what medical aid that could not be administered by the Surgical Technician aboard.

USAAF B-24J Liberator, #41-100292, crashed into the sea near Innisfail on 28 February 1944 killing all 15 on board. Three bodies were picked up by a freighter off Innisfail about 48 miles north of Cape Sandwich. Is there the remote possibility the aircraft that Brian Carr has found, which he believes is a B-24 Liberator could be connected to the one off Innisfail??

SOURCE:- Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia

Crash: No. 322

Position: 18.14 - 146.18

Department of Aviation Chart No: 3219

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Brian Carr for his assistance with this web page.