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| RAAF No. 11 Squadron Former Assignments No. 20 Squadron  RAAF 1942 |
Pilot P/O Warwick Neville Rose, 400939 (MIA / KIA) Brunswick, VIC 2nd Pilot F/O Allan Roger Meakin, 418142 (MIA / KIA) Toorak, VIC Navigator F/Sgt L. W. Stringer, 419679 (MIA / KIA) Northcote, VIC W/AG F/Sgt Alexander John Hine, 415327 (MIA / KIA) Brookton, WA W/AG F/Sgt James William Willesden, 427052 (MIA / KIA) WA W/AG F/Sgt J. B. Miller, 406811 (MIA / KIA) Mount Lawley, WA Flight Engineer Sgt Alfred Harvey Brooks Wadham, 28840 (MIA / KIA) Mildura, VIC Flight Engineer Sgt Herbert John Alexander Coates, 35037 (MIA / KIA) Ashfield, NSW Air Gunner Sgt Philip Charles Carter, 34396 (MIA / KIA) Air Gunner Sgt George Wise Whitley, 41312 (MIA / KIA) Geelong, VIC Crashed April 28, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated. Constructors Number 1199. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PBY-5A Catalina bureau number 8285. Ferried overseas across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as PBY-5A Catalina serial number A24-49. On May 5, 1943 assigned to No. 20 Squadron. On June 24, 1943 assigned to No. 11 Squadron with code FJ-L. Nicknamed "Maggie" after the wife of pilot F/Lt Malcolm Brookswith with the nose art depiciting Maggie. Mission History On April 28, 1944 took off from Groote Eylandt piloted by P/O Warwick Neville Rose on a mission bound for Manokwari. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft after take off and it never reached the target. 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. All are memorialized at Adelaide River War Cemetery on the Northern Territory Memorial. Meakin and Miller on panel 7. Rose on panel 8. Stringer, Willesden and Hine on panel 9. Coates on panel 10. Whitley on panel 11. Bob Alford adds: "The aircraft never reached the target and no trace has been found of the aircraft or crew." Joan McIntyre adds: "[From Australian Defense records] There were a number of suggestions that the Catalina, with 10 crew aboard, may have come down in the vicinity of a village called Moegim near Babo. It does appear that it reached its target area, and there is a suggestion, though rather vague, that the aircraft came under fire and may have been hit, although still able to continue flying. I realize the dreadful things that befell any downed airmen in that theatre of war, but it may be that the remains of the flying boat may one day be located. One of the reports was from a native medical orderly, who was on Biak in the August of 1944. It was also stated that the Japanese had reported an Australian Catalina crashing into the sea, but this was unconfirmed. In a 1946 report, the Catalina A24-49 was listed as one of the aircraft lost in this area, along with a Liberator 42-40967, and three Kittykawks. They did believe that they may have found the Liberator in Manroeni." Daniel Leahy adds: "Some post-war documentation includes references to wrecks and losses in the Manokwari area which could have been this aircraft. All were investigated and were found to be related to other aircraft losses or incidents and were ultimately dismissed as being Catalina A24-49." References Another source incorrectly states this Catalina crashed off Horn Island. RAAF Casualty Card - Catalina A24-49 ADF Serials - Catalina A24-49 A Mystery Unsolved... the Loss of Catalina A24-49 (2015) by Bob Alford and Tony Morgan details the loss Thanks to Bob Alford Joan McIntyre and 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 January 20, 2023 |
 PBY MIA 10 Missing |
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