CRASH OF A B-25D MITCHELL
25 MILES NORTH &
SLIGHTLY EAST OF COOKTOWN
ON 20 DECEMBER 1942
| visits since 18 November 2003 |
USAAF B-25D Mitchell #41-29709, "Eight Ball Esquire", of the 13th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Bomb Group, crashed into the sea about 25 miles north and slightly east of Cooktown on 20 December 1942.
It had taken off from Cooktown enroute Port Moresby at 1710 hours on 20 December 1942. Pilot, 1st Lt. William C. Hellriegel, had to feather the left engine when oil pressure failed and he turned back towards Cooktown. The aircraft lost altitude rapidly and made a hard ditching approximately 25 miles north and slightly east of Cooktown. Of the 12 on board, 7 were injured. They all made it to the beach at a point half way between the mouth of Morgan River and Cape Flattery. 10 stayed behind, two uninjured, Lt. Schwartz and Sgt. McMann started out early on 21 December 1942 to walk to Cooktown. They walked and swam for two days and reached Cooktown after dark on 23 December 1942. Early the next morning a rescue boat picked up the rest of the crew on a beach after a four hour trip. There were no fatalities. The plane sank in about 3 minutes.
Photo by Jack Heyn Click on photo to enlarge |
A combat crew in front of B-25 "8 Ball Esquire" of the 13th Bomb Squadron of the 3rd Bomb Group at Charters Towers on 30 September 1942. One of the gunners in the crew was a tent mate of Jack Heyn. |
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Charley Valade, one of Jack Heyn's tent mates who was on "8 Ball Esquire" when it it ditched in the Coral Sea. He got back and lived to fly another day. |
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I'd like to thank Jack Heyn for his assistance with this home page.
I would like to thank Larry Hickey for the above information on this crash. He has many photos of this aircraft, including the one above, by Jack Heyn.
SOURCE:- Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia
Crash: No. 94
Position: 14.11 - 144.14
Department of Aviation Chart No: 3112
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This page first produced 18 June 1999
This page last updated 18 November 2003
AUSTRALIA
@ WAR
