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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| RAAF No. 33 Squadron |
Pilot Pilot Officer Francis Robinson, RAAF 429742 (MIA / KIA) Perth, WA Co-Pilot Flt Lt Neville John Hazle, RAAF 401818 (MIA / KIA) St Kilda, VIC Radio F/O George Roy Connell, RAAF 427802 (MIA / KIA) East Fremantle, WA Navigator Flt Sgt Francis Bodley, RAAF 440688 (MIA / KIA) Tingalpa, QLD Passenger Cfn Walter Kingsford Arcus, AIF NX96202 2/117 Bde. Wksp. (MIA, KIA) Cammeray, NSW Passenger Cfn Leonard Norman Arnold, AIF NX118494 2/3 Inf. Tps. Wksp (MIA, KIA) NSW Passenger Pte Joseph Raymond Berg, AIF WX40262 2/9 Gen. Hosp. (MIA, KIA) Leederville, WA Passenger Pte Robert Bowels, AIF SX25926 63 Bn. (MIA, KIA) Flinders Park, SA Passenger Captain John Frederick Richard Burnett, AIF WX28702 2/6 Dental Unit (MIA, KIA) WA Passenger Pte Francis Richard Carter, AIF NX192467 65 Bn. (MIA, KIA) NSW Passenger Spr Samuel Edley Evans, AIF SX38810 66 Bn. (MIA, KIA) Torrensville, SA Passenger Pte William John Geoghegan, AIF QX59229 32 Officers Club (MIA, KIA) Roma, QLD Passenger Able Seaman Neil Arthur Gibson, RAN FV342 (MIA, KIA) Maylands, WA Passenger Cpl Reginald Zebulun Green, AIF WX41628 2/3 Flash Spotting Battery (MIA, KIA) Guildford, WA Passenger Pte Keith Wilson Longdill Krippner, AIF NX203070 11 Small Ships Coy (MIA, KIA) Canberra, ACT Passenger Cpl Leonard Ronald Lishmund, AIF SX33581 66 Bn. (MIA, KIA) SA Passenger Pte Francis McCarthy, AIF WX22722 2/4 Pnr. Bn. (MIA, KIA) Perth, WA Passenger Sgt William Mullen, RAAF 60195 (MIA, KIA) Cessnock, NSW Passenger Pte John Raymond Pearsall, AIF NX170651 2/12 Commando Squadron (MIA, KIA) Darwin, NT Passenger Sig James Desmond Pollard, AIF SX25076 26 L of C Sigs. (MIA, KIA) Alberton, SA Passenger Gnr Harold Robins, AIF WX37504 2/3 A.A. Regt. (MIA, KIA) South Perth, WA Passenger Captain Colin Thomas Walton, AIF NX6204 108 Supply Depot Platoon (MIA, KIA) Payneham, SA Passenger Spr Joseph Michael Wilson, AIF WX21115 2/5 Commando Squadron (MIA, KIA) Passenger LAC Leslie Hamilton Wilson, RAAF 139475 (MIA, KIA) Manly, NSW MIA December 19, 1945 Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 32875. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-47B-30-DK Skytrain serial number 44-76543. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History During March 1945, assigned to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as C-47B Dakota serial number A65-83 with call sign VH-CIZ. On April 4, 1945 assigned to 3 Air Depot (3 AD). On April 15, 1945 assigned to No. 35 Squadron. On May 31, 1945 assigned to 13 ARD. On July 5, 1945 returned to No. 35 Squadron. No known nickname or nose art. Operated as an air ambulance. Mission History On December 19, 1945 took off from Morotai piloted by P/O Francis Robinson on a flight via Ambon bound Darwin. Aboard was the flight crew of four plus nineteen passengers. The first leg of the flight to Ambon was uneventful and took off again at 10:00am. Approximately an hour into the next leg of the flight bound for Darwin, a message was received from the aircraft stating that they wished to place a message. Darwin Aeradio replied with "go ahead" and no response was ever heard from the aircraft. When this aircraft failed to return it was reported as missing. It is probable that the aircraft got into trouble due to adverse weather conditions and had to ditch or land in the vicinity of Timor. In the days after this incident, at least three messages and one continuous note were picked up. To this day, the crew and passengers have never been found. Memorials The crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. The RAAF and AIF crew and passengers are memorialized at Ambon War Cemetery on the Ambon Memorial. Gibson, Green, Pearsall and Joseph M. Wilson on column 1. Krippner on column 2. Berg, Bowels, Carter, Evans, Lishmund, McCarthy, Pollard, Robins, Walton on column 6. Arcus, Arnold, Burnett, Geoghegan on column 7. Robinson, Hazle, Connell, on column 8. Bodley on column 9. Mullen, Leslie H. Wilson on column 10. Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Neil A. Gibson is memorialized at Plymouth Naval Memorial on panel 96, column 1. Relative Lee & Willa McCarthy (relatives McCarthy) References USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-47B-30-DK Skytrain 44-76543 "76543 (MSN 16127/32875) to RAAF as A65-83. Missing Oct 20, 1945 in flight from Ambon to Darwin." ADF Serials - Dakota A65-83 VH-CIZ Missing Dakota via Wayback Machine August 18, 2003 CWGC - Francis Robinson CWGC - Neville John Hazle CWGC - George Roy Connell CWGC - Francis Bodley CWGC - Walter Kingsford Arcus CWGC - Leonard Norman Arnold CWGC - Joseph Raymond Berg CWGC - Robert Bowels CWGC - John Frederick Richard Burnett CWGC - Francis Richard Carter CWGC - Samuel Edley Evans CWGC - William John Geoghegan CWGC - Neil Arthur Gibson CWGC - Reginald Zebulun Green CWGC - Keith Wilson Longdill Krippner CWGC - Leonard Ronald Lishmund CWGC - Francis McCarthy CWGC - William Mullen CWGC - John Raymond Pearsall CWGC - James Desmond Pollard CWGC - Harold Robins CWGC - Colin Thomas Walton CWGC - Joseph Michael Wilson CWGC - Leslie Hamilton Wilson Thanks to Lee & Willa McCarthy for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated January 2, 2022 |
 C-47  MIA 24 Missing |
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