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| RAAF No. 6 Squadron Former Assignments 2 AD No. 13 Squadron 1 AD 1 RSU 5 AD  RAAF February 24, 1943  Andrew Wight 1995  Bob Halstead 2007 |
Pilot F/O Raymond Alfred Norman
Kelly, 415152 (survived) Fremantle, WA Crew F/O Wilfred Albert Green, 406782 (survived) East Fremantle, WA Crew Sgt John Henry Burnell Clark, 411863 (WIA, survived) Leichhardt, NSW Crew Sgt Earnest Archie Prime, 416128 (survived) Murray Bridge, SA Ditched February 24, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank as model RA-29. Constructors Number 414-6498. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as A-29-LO Hudson serial number 41-37009. Assigned Royal Air Force (RAF) serial number FH208. Shipped across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Hudson Mark IIIa serial number A16-245. On May 20, 1942 assigned to 2 Air Depot (2 AD) at Richmond. On June 15, 1942 assigned to No. 13 Squadron and issued on June 29. On July 2, 1942 assigned 1 Air Depot (1 AD) and on July 6 assigned to No. 13 Squadron. On October 8, 1942 during take off, the left engine failed and damage was sustained to the bomb bay doors and propeller blades. On October 22, 1942 assigned to 1 Repair Salvage Unit (1 RSU) for repairs and returned to No. 13 Squadron on November 19, 1942. On December 21, 1942 assigned to 5 Air Depot (5 AD) and then to 1 Air Depot (1 AD) on January 31, 1943 then back to 5 Air Depot (5 AD) on February 8, 1943. Finally, on February 13, 1943 assigned to No. 6 Squadron. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On February 24, 1943 took off from Turnbull Field piloted by F/O Raymond A. N. Kelly as one of three Hudsons on a reconnaissance mission over New Britain and Bougainville. Returning from the mission, encountered bad weather and ran low on fuel forcing it to ditch into Milne Bay at 2:26pm at roughly Lat 10' 15" South and Long 150' 51" East, west of East Cape. On March 3, 1943 administratively issued to 15 Repair Salvage Unit (15 RSU). On March 15, 1943 officially stricken from charge. Fates of the Crew The entire crew survived the ditching unhurt. Five minutes after ditching, the Hudson sank. Fifteen minutes later, locals in canoes arrived and rescued the four crew. Later, a U.S. Navy (USN) PT Boat arrived to rescue the crew and transported them to Kana Kopa PT Boat Base. Afterwards, embarked aboard USS Tulsa (PG-22) that returned them to Gili Gili where they returned to duty at Turnbull Field. Wreckage The same day, the site of the ditching was located and marked with a buoy, about a hundred meters from the shore. The aircraft landed upside down on a flat sandy bottom. Machine guns and ammunition are still inside the aircraft. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - A-29-LO Hudson 41-37009 "37009 (MSN 414-6498) to RAF as FH208 then to Australia as A16-245. Crashed at sea in bad weather Feb 24, 1943 while with 6 Sqdn" ADF Serials - Hudson A16-245 WW2 Nominal Roll - Raymond Alfred Norman Kelly WW2 Nominal Roll - Wilfred Albert Green WW2 Nominal Roll - John Henry Burnell Clark WW2 Nominal Roll - Earnest Archie Prime Winged Ghosts of the Pacific interview with Kelly and footage of underwater aircraft Thanks to Daniel Leahy 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 December 12, 2023 |
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