9 August 1943 - Crash of a P-38 Lightning at Biboohra north of Mareeba

9 AUGUST 1943
CRASH OF A P-38 LIGHTNING
AT BIBOOHRA, NORTH OF MAREEBA, QLD

visits since 16 March 2004

A USAAF P-38 Lightning, of the 431st Fighter Squadron, 475th Fighter Group, experienced engine trouble during a flight from Amberley to New Guinea. It crashed at Biboohra north of Mareeba on 9 August 1943 killing its pilot, 2nd Lieutenant Andrew Kendall Duke (perhaps it is Allan Kendall Duke - see e-mail below)

Parts of this P-38 are at Sid Beck's Museum in Mareeba.

Terence Geary checked his P-38 database which shows only one loss on that date. This information originates from the Aircraft Record Cards as follows:-

#43-2200 P-38G-15-LO 5AF 9 Aug 1943 Condemned accident not combat related

This is most likely this P-38 crash at Biboohra.

Plaque at Mareeba Airfield

Subject:   Allan Kendall Duke 9AUG1943
Date:           Tue, 15 May 2001 01:37:52 -0500
From:           marc poole <mtp1@ra.msstate.edu>

Hi-

I searched on the web for info on Lt Allan Kendall Duke, the brother of a friend of mine, Bettye Duke Jackson. She is interested in finding any other info on her brother, and I found the passage on your web page (http://home.star.brisnet.org.au/~dunn/9aug43.htm) very interesting. Can you provide me with any other info on the crash of Duke's P-38, and on the recent discoveries? Any info is greatly appreciated-

Best regards,

Marc Poole
Starkville, MS 39759

http://www.marcpoole.com

http://www.384thbombgroup.com

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Damian Waters and Terence Geary for their assistance with this home page.

REFERENCE BOOK

"Diary of WWII - North Queensland"
Complied by Peter Nielsen

"I Didn't Know That"
"Cairns and Districts, Tully to Cape York, 1939-1946,
Service Personnel and Civilians"
By Vera Bradley (1943 AAMWS)

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

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