Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 4 February 1942, page 9


13 KILLED IN AIR CRASH

Enemy Attack on

Flying-boat

MELBOURNE, Tuesday—Thir-

teen persons were killed when a Qantas Empire Airways flying-boat was attacked by enemy

fighters and crashed into the sea during a flight from Darwin to Koepang on Friday.

Revealing this to-day, the Minis-ter for Air, Mr. Drakeford, said that the aircraft carried 13 passengers and a crew of five, of whom three pas-

sengers and two members of the crew

had been saved.

Those killed were:—

Mr. G. A. Farrelly, of Sarawak.

Mr. D. W. McCulloch, married, of Nedlands, Western Australia.

Mr. H. E. Outfield, of Sarawak.

Mr. J. C McMillan, 31, married, of

Sydney.

Mr. E. G. Kerr, 31, single, of Mel-

bourne.

Mr. G. C. Vantereight, 21, single, of Sydney.

Mr. W. N. Lee, 22, single, of Mel-

bourne.

Mr. W. O. Beckett, 21, single, of

Brisbane.

Mr. J. H. Holliday, 23, single, of Mel-

bourne.

Mr. J. Depinna, 18, single, of

Sydney.

Radio Officer A. S. Patterson, 39, single, of Leicestershire, England.

Purser G. W. Cruickshank, 31, mar-ried, of Sydney.

Flight Steward S. C. Elphick, 33, married, of Sydney.

The survivors are:—

Captain A. A. Koch, 37, married, of Sydney (commander of the flying-

boat).

First Officer V. Lyne, 26, married, of Sydney.

Mr. F. A. Moore, of Sarawak.

Mr. J. C. B. Fisher, of Sarawak.

Mr. B. L. Westbrook, single, of

Hobart.

FIGHTERS ATTACK

The aircraft was forced down by enemy fighters at the mouth of the Noelmans River, near Koepang, at about the same time as Japanese bombing raids were made on the town.

Mr. Drakeford said that Captain Koch suffered a broken right leg, and machine-gun wounds in the left arm and left leg.

When the flying-boat crashed into the sea its back was broken and it sank shortly afterwards.

Medical aid had been sent to the injured persons, who were known to be on the mainland in the vicinity of Koepang.

The aircraft carried one ton of mails and it was considered unlikely that they would be recovered.

The next of kin had been notified of

the disaster.