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| NEIAF No. 18 Squadron  RAAF 1941 |
Pilot 1st Lt A. F. Oudraad, NEIAF (MIA / KIA) Co-Pilot 2nd Lt J. B. F. de Knecht, NEIAF (MIA / KIA) Bombardier Sgt Neville George William Morris, RAAF 414152 (MIA / KIA) Sydney, NSW Radio Sgt A. H. de Jongh, NEIAF 92347 (MIA / KIA) W/AG Sgt Geoffrey Albert O'Hea, RAAF 405464 (MIA / KIA) Skillion Flat, NSW Crashed April 28, 1943 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA) in Inglewood. Constructors Number 82-5547. At the factory painted with olive drab upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces and U.S. markings. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25C Mitchell serial number 41-12912. Purchased by the Netherlands for the Militaire Luchtvaart (ML-KNIL) Army Aviation Corps of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army for use in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) as B-25C Mitchell serial number N5-135. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History In April 1942 at Canberra Airfield (RAAF Fairbairn) repainted in NEIAF markings with serial number N5-135 and the Dutch flag on the rear fuselage and retained the original U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) serial number on both sides of the tails. Assigned to No. 18 Squadron as one of their first five bombers. No known nickname or nose art. During 1942 this B-25 operated from Batchelor Field near Darwin. Mission History On April 28, 1943 took off from Darwin piloted by 1st Lt A. F. Oudraad on a bombing mission against Japanese shipping off Ceram. Aboard were two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) crew members: bombardier Sgt Neville G. W. Morris and Wireless/Air Gunner Sgt Geoffrey A. O'Hea. At approximately 8:50am, this B-25 was conducting a low level mast height bombing attack against a Japanese ships to the south of Ceram and was likely hit by anti-aircraft fire. This B-25 was observed to pull up over the target vessel then into a slow right roll and a third of the left wing was seen to break off and an explosion inside the fuselage before it crashed into the sea and burst into flames on impact. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. The two Australian crew members are memorialized at Ambon War Cemetery on the Ambon Memorial, column 10. References WW2 Nominal Roll - Neville George William Morris, 414152 WW2 Nominal Roll - Geoffrey Albert O'Hea, 405464 USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25C Mitchell 41-12912 "12912 to NEIAF as N5-135 - lost in action 4/43" B-25 Mitchell in Dutch Service N5-135 CWGC - George William Morris CWGC - Geoffrey Albert O'Hea FindAGrave - Sergeant Neville George William Huntbach Morris (photo, Ambon Memorial) FindAGrave - Sergeant Geoffrey O'Hea (Ambon Memorial) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 27, 2022 |
 B-25  MIA 2 Missing  S 4° 40'E 130° 30' |
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