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| RAAF No. 1 OTU Former Assignments No. 5 OTU No. 7 Squadron No. 14 Squadron |
Instructor Pilot FLGOFF Robert Meath Hammond, 415870 (KIA, BR) Carnarvon, WA Student Pilot FLGOFF Melville Maxwell Castle, 424966 (KIA, BR) Gunbarwood, QLD Radio FLTSGT Stanley Trevor Lloyd, 431375 (KIA, BR) Crashed July 30, 1945 Aircraft History Built by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. On October 24, 1942 delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Beaufort Mark VII serial number A9-143. Wartime History Assigned to No. 14 Squadron. Later assigned to No. 7 Squadron. Afterwards, assigned to No. 5 Operational Training Unit (5 OTU). Finally, to No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1 OTU). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On July 30, 1945 took off from East Sale Airfield piloted by FLGOFF Robert M. Hammond with student pilot FLGOFF Melville M. Castle and radio operator FLTSGT Stanley T. Lloyd, 431375 on a low level training flight. At 8:15am crashed on Waddy Island roughly four miles from Paynesville. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the crew were recovered. Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All three are buried at Sale War Cemetery. Hammond is buried at plot B, row D, grave 4. Castle is buried at plot B, row D, grave 3. Lloyd is buried at plot B, row D, grave 2. The crew is also memorialized on the Australian War Memorial (AWM) on panel 112. During the 1990s, a memorial cross was placed at the crash site. On August 2, 2017 a group from the Gippsland Lakes Classic Boat Club (GLCBC) visited the memorial to clean it up and honor the memory of the crew and loss. Wreckage The crash site remains crashed on a small island at the Back-lake of the Gippsland Lakes. The location is listed as Waddy Island (Palmer Island). References ADF Serials - Beaufort A9-143 CWGC - Robert Meath Hammond, 415870 CWGC - Melville Maxwell Castle, 424966 CWGC - Stanley Trevor Lloyd, 431375 FindAGrave - FO Robert Meath Hammond (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - FO Melville Maxwell Castle (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Melville Maxwell Castle (AWM panel) FindAGrave - Flight Sergeant Stanley Trevor Lloyd (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Stanley Trevor Lloyd (photos) Gippsland Lakes - Bristol Beaufort bomber A9-143 August 2, 2017 Oz@War - Crash of Bristol Beaufort on Palmer Island 4 miles from Paynesvile on 30 July 1945 (photos) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated October 26, 2025 |
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