CRASH OF A LOCKHEED HUDSON
AT DAPTO, WOLLONGONG
ON 4 NOVEMBER 1942

visits since 8 June 2000

Lockheed Hudson A16-173,  #41-23609, BW747, of 32 Squadron RAAF crashed at Bong Bong Mountain, Dapto, Wollongong, in southern New South Wales on 4 November 1942.

The crew of four were all killed:-

Norman Baxter Clerk
Bernard James Hubbard
Geoffrey Alfred Rich
Joseph Hall Iredell

The wreck was converted to components.

Subject:    plane crash at Dapto, Wollongong, November 1942
Date:             Tue, 6 Jun 2000 21:27:31 +1000
From:           "robert cummins" <bobglyncummins@ozemail.com.au>

I discovered your site by accident (not an aircraft buff) and decided to look up any information you might have had about a plane that crashed on the Illawarra escarpment 56 years ago. I did not find a record of it and wondered if you would like to investigate it some more, perhaps add it to your records.

A local resident recalled the event in 1988 for a Bicentennial publication. To sum up, a Lockeed Hudson bomber on a routine anti-submarine patrol along the south coast suffered instrument failure. The crew lost their bearings due to the bad storm that night - plenty of low cloud and heavy rain. The searchlight batterry mounted on Mt Brown, west of Lake Illawarra, attempted to alert the plane which continued to circle low over Dapto. But at about 8pm farmers in West Dapto heard a low-flying aircraft pass over their farms, followed by a loud crash.

A search party found the wreck later that night near the site of the Avon Colliery. The four crewmen were dead. The plane was carrying four depth-charges which had not exploded. The area was cleared, and a few days later, before they could be defused, the bombs exploded spontaneously, scattering the wreckage over a wide area. As far as I know, at least one of the crewmen is buried at West Dapto.

Regards Glynis

Subject:    plane crash at Dapto, Wollongong, November 1942
Date:             Thu, 8 Jun 2000 16:01:48 +1000
From:           "robert cummins" <bobglyncummins@ozemail.com.au>

Dear Peter

I had a look in the Illawarra Mercury 13 November 1942 today and found a tiny paragraph -

Aeroplane Crash
Recently an aeroplane crashed in southern New South Wales and as a result four members of the crew were killed:-

Pilot - Norman Baxter Clerk, 21, single, from W.A.
Observer - Bernard James Hubbard, 26, married, Bentley, Victoria
Air Gunner - Geoffrey Alfred Rich, 25, married,Rockdale, NSW
Air Gunner - Joseph Hall Iredell, 26, married, Hamilton, Victoria

I expected to find more info but perhaps it was all a bit hush hush.

Hope this helps

Regards Glynis

In Memory of

BERNARD JAMES HUBBARD

Flight Sergeant
401037
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 4th November 1942. Age 26.

Son of David William and Mary Cathrine Hubbard, of Sandringham; husband of Iris Marcella Hubbard, of Bentleigh.

Cemetery:  CHELTENHAM NEW GENERAL CEMETERY, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: R.C. Plot. Row 139. Grave 17.

In Memory of

GEOFFREY ALFRED RICH

Sergeant
412187
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 4th November 1942. Age 25.

Son of Leslie Alfred and Ruby Pearl Rich; husband of Helen Mary Rich, of Rockdale. C. of

Cemetery: WORONORA GENERAL CEMETERY, New South Wales, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: E. Plot. Sec. 6. Grave 131 .

In Memory of

JOSEPH HALL IREDELL

Sergeant
408580
Royal Australian Air Force
who died on
Wednesday, 4th November 1942. Age 26.

Son of Joseph Hall Iredell and Muriel Maud Iredell; husband of Gladys D. Iredell, of Hamilton. C. of

Cemetery:  HAMILTON PUBLIC CEMETERY, Victoria, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: E. Plot. Sec. 33. Grave 30.

Subject:     Plane Crash Dapto.
Date:              Fri, 9 Jun 2000 13:11:25 +1000
From:            "Carol" <sycado@bigpond.com>

My name is John Herben and I am the editor of the Illawarra Historical Society Bulletin.

In the coming issue is an article which details the plane crash on Bong Bong Mountain.

A copy can be obtained from the Society at a cost of $2-50 which includes P&H.

The address is Illawarra Historical Society Inc., PO Box 241,. Wollongong East 2520 NSW.

John Herben

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 8 June 2000

This page last updated 01 July 2007