16 AUGUST 1942
CRASH OF A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
INTO THE SEA NEAR CAIRNS

visits since 21 January 2001

B-17E Flying Fortress

USAAF B-17 #41-2434 of the 30th Squadron of the 19th Bombardment Group at Mareeba crashed into the sea near Cairns while testing a new flare dropping mechanism on 16 August 1942.  It malfunctioned and the flare exploded inside the B-17 causing it to crash into the sea, exploding on impact, with the loss of the pilot Major Dean C. "Pinky" Hoevet and all his crew, which included some of his armament officers. Many of the bodies were not recovered including Major Hoevet's.

The accident occurred just inside the Great Barrier Reef a few miles north and east of Mareeba, Queensland. Another source indicated that it went into the sea about one mile out from Yorkey's Knob.

All of the American dead were initially buried in Australia but were then sent to next of kin or to the Arlington National Cemetery in an evacuation program in 1961-1970.

After this accident, the Americans called Mareeba air field by the name Hoevet Field.

B-17E Flying Fortress #41-2434 was originally delivered to Salt Lake City on 30 November 1941. One source has stated that it was assigned to the 28 Bomb Squadron (not the 30th Bomb Squadron) of the 19th Bomb Group at Hickham airfield on 22 May 1942 and ditched off Cairns on 17 August 1942. It was wrtitten off on 31 October 1944.

Major Paul M. Lindsey (# 0-406701) may have also been one of those killed in this crash. Major Lindsay had been involved in another B-17 crash about a month earlier when B-17E Flying Fortress, #41-2655, of the 30th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, ditched into the sea near Horn Island on 13 July 1942.

Major Dean Carol "Pinky" Hoevet
More details from his relatives

Two members of the 30th Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group  who died
 on 16 August 1942 were buried at the US Cemetery in Townsville
Were they from the crash of the above aircraft?

Subject:    WW2 Aircraft wrecks
Date:             Fri, 4 Jun 1999 15:40:35 +1000
From: "Paul Snow" <imocns@unionsteel.com.au>

Just for you info: crash of B-24 of Yorkeys Knob was actually a B-17 (see comments below) and the Gypsy Major in Freshwater Valley is a Dehaviland Dragon (see comments below). You have an excellent web site. My information comes from Steve Fowler, Bayview Heights, Cairns. He actually went and found what was left of the Dragon.

The B-17 was destroyed by a flare igniting in flight.

Many thanks
Paul Snow

COMMENTS:-  The book "Diary of WWII - North Queensland" indicates that the B-17 Flying Fortress on this page, was destroyed by an igniting flare, on 17 August 1942.  I have since received other information which supports Paul Snow's e-mail above and I've now changed the date of this crash on this page from 17 August 1942 to 16 August 1942. (Thanks Paul for your correction - much appreciated)

I've still left the crash of a B-24 on the 16 August 1942 (Crash No. 28) as another crash on that day.  I'll change the Gypsy Major to a Dragon as it looks more correct. The A34 series of RAAF aircraft were Dragons.  Regards Peter Dunn

Subject:   B-17E Histories
Date:           Wed, 17 May 2000 21:39:30 EDT
From:          B17RELIC@aol.com

I've got about 4,000 pages of mission reports just on the 19th Bomb Group some from the 7th BG and some from the 43rd BG. Most of my research is in 41 & 42 while my dad was a B-17 pilot with the 7th and 19th. I'm currently working on the recovery of the Swamp Ghost 41-2446 in Papua New Guinea. One of my dad's wingman that did not make it back on the first mission against Rabaul.

A question for you, do you have a crash location for 41-2434? It went  down near Cairns, but have you found any specifics? I have some extensive  files on many B-17E's. I'm somewhat focused on 41-2408, 2416, 2421, 2430,  2432, 2434, 2435, 2438, 2440, 2446, 2447, & 2656. These were mainly 22BS, 88BS, and 435th BS Airplanes. I wrote A book on the Swamp Ghost and an article on Chief Seattle (41-2656). Where are you located? I'm in Tacoma, Washington ,

Glen E. Spieth

REFERENCE BOOK

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

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Paul McMillan for his assistance with the history of this aircraft.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

"Australia @ War"

This page first produced 7 February 1999

This page last updated 26 August 2007