7 May 1942 - Crash landing of a B-17 Flying Fortress at Charters Towers

7 MAY 1942
CRASH OF A B-17 FLYING FORTRESS
AT CHARTERS TOWERS

visits since 5 July 2009

B-17E Flying Fortress

B-17 Flying Fortress, #41-2631, USAAF, of the 19th Bombardment Group, piloted by Major Jaques, crash landed at Charters Towers on 7 May 1942. There was no loss of life.

It may be possible that B-17E #41-2631 was one of the three B-17's that thought they had spotted Japanese Task Group 17.3 in the Coral Sea and dropped their bombs in error on HMAS Australia, USS Farragut and USS Perkins of the Anzac Squadron. B-17 Flying Fortress #41-2652 of the 19th Bombardment Group piloted by Major Major Habberstad crashed at Ewan after the pilot along with his crew abandoned the aircraft on the same day, namely 7 May 1942.

REFERENCES

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

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