1940 Canberra air disaster facts for kids
Plaque of Memorial Cairn (1960) at the site of the disaster
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| Accident summary | |
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| Date | 13 August 1940 |
| Summary | Stall on landing |
| Place | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 35°19′06″S 149°13′45″E / 35.3184°S 149.2293°E |
| Passengers | 6 |
| Crew | 4 |
| Injuries (non-fatal) | 0 |
| Fatalities | 10 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed Hudson |
| Airline/user | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Registration | A16-97 |
| Flew from | Essendon Airport |
| Flying to | Canberra Airport |
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The 1940 Canberra air disaster was a plane crash that happened near Canberra, Australia's capital city. It occurred on 13 August 1940, during World War II. All ten people on board died. This included six passengers and four crew members. Among the passengers were three important government ministers and the head of the Australian Army. Experts believe the plane lost speed and control while trying to land. It was too low to recover from this problem.
The deaths of the three government ministers greatly affected the United Australia Party government. It made the government led by Robert Menzies weaker. This event also played a part in the government falling in 1941.
Contents
What Happened Before the Crash?
The plane involved in the crash was a Lockheed Hudson bomber. Its special number was A16-97. It was one of 100 new planes ordered for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). This plane was the first Hudson in the RAAF to have seats for passengers. It was meant to carry important supplies and people to military bases. It could also be used for government ministers when needed.
On 9 August, the RAAF was asked to prepare a flight to Canberra for 13 August. This flight was for James Fairbairn, who was the Minister for Air and Civil Aviation. The plane had flown for only a short time, about 7 hours. The pilot, Bob Hitchcock, checked the plane before the flight. He and three crew members left RAAF Laverton for Essendon Airport at 8:47 a.m.
James Fairbairn needed to attend a very important meeting in Canberra. This meeting was about Australia's defense plans during the war. It was partly called because of a message from Winston Churchill to Prime Minister Menzies. Churchill shared his thoughts on a possible war with Japan. The heads of the army, navy, and air force were also supposed to be at this meeting.
Fairbairn invited three other important officials to fly with him. These were Geoffrey Street, the Minister for the Army; Henry Gullett, the Minister for Information; and General Brudenell White, the head of the Army. Fairbairn's private secretary, Dick Elford, and General White's staff officer, Frank Thornthwaite, were also passengers. Two other ministers were invited but chose to take the train instead. Prime Minister Menzies also preferred to travel by train.
The Crash Itself
The government ministers and General White were flying from Melbourne to Canberra for their meeting. The plane was a RAAF Lockheed Hudson II bomber. An experienced RAAF officer, Flight Lieutenant Robert Hitchcock, was flying it. The plane, A16-97, had been used by the RAAF since June 20, 1940. It belonged to No.2 Squadron.
People watching at the Canberra Aerodrome saw the plane. They saw it circle the airport, then rise and fly south. It went out of sight behind a small hill with trees. Then, there was an explosion and a flash of fire. A thick cloud of smoke followed.
The plane crashed in a field on a farm called "Dundee." This farm was owned by Duncan Cameron.
Who Died in the Crash?
Ten people died in the crash. They were:
- Brigadier Geoffrey Austin Street: He was the Minister for the Army. He had fought in World War I.
- James Valentine Fairbairn: He was the Minister for Air and Civil Aviation. He was a pilot during World War I.
- Sir Henry Somer Gullett: He was a Minister in charge of Scientific Research. He was a journalist and war correspondent.
- General Sir Cyril Brudenell Bingham White: He was the Chief of the General Staff, meaning the head of the Army. He had served in the army since 1902.
- Lieutenant Colonel Francis Thornthwaite: He was an officer working for General White.
- Richard Edwin Elford: He was James Fairbairn's private secretary.
The four RAAF crew members who died were:
- Flight Lieutenant Robert Edward Hitchcock (the pilot)
- Pilot Officer Richard Frederick Wiesener
- Corporal John Frederick Palmer
- Aircraftman Charles Joseph Crosdale
What Caused the Crash?
The exact reason for the crash has always been a mystery. However, there was no sign of enemy attack or sabotage. The crash happened at 10:15 a.m. on a clear day. The weather was described as "ideal flying conditions."
James Fairbairn, the Air Minister, had been a pilot himself. Some people have wondered if he might have asked to fly the plane as it approached Canberra. A week before the accident, Fairbairn had talked about how Hudson bombers could suddenly lose control when landing. He said, "a pilot coming in to land can find himself, suddenly and without warning, in a machine that is no longer airborne."
Investigations later suggested the pilot made an error. However, some experts have questioned this. In 2018, a writer named Andrew Tink doubted if Flight Lieutenant Hitchcock was even at the controls when the crash happened.
Investigations into the Crash
A special investigation looked into the accident. It found that the most likely cause was the plane losing speed and control (stalling) while trying to land. This happened at a height too low for the pilot to fix the problem. The plane hit a hill very hard, killing everyone instantly. Then, it caught fire.
The RAAF's own investigation also concluded that the crash was due to the plane stalling. They believed it was an "error of judgment" by the pilot. However, the RAAF's Director of Training, George Jones, disagreed. He said he could not believe a pilot with Hitchcock's experience would make such a mistake.
In 2020, a former Australian government minister, Michael Wooldridge, shared a new detail. He said he learned that James Fairbairn's body was found still strapped into the pilot's seat at the crash site. This information had been kept secret for many years.
How the Crash Affected Australia
Prime Minister Menzies was very sad about the crash. He said his three colleagues were his "close and loyal friends." He felt the loss deeply, both personally and for the government. The government was weakened by losing three senior ministers. This made Menzies's position harder in the months that followed.
Because of the crash, Menzies had to change his team of ministers. One person who got a promotion was Harold Holt. He later became Prime Minister himself.
A national election was already planned for the end of the year. Due to the deaths, it was decided to hold the election sooner, in September. This avoided having to hold special elections for the vacant seats first. The government kept two of the seats in the election. However, one seat was lost to an independent politician. This independent later helped to bring down the government in 1941. This allowed John Curtin of the Australian Labor Party to become Prime Minister.
Lasting Impact
In 1953, the RAAF base in Canberra was renamed Fairbairn Airbase. This was done to honor James Fairbairn. The sons of two of the ministers, Jo Gullett and Tony Street, later became politicians themselves. After World War II, a memorial was built at the crash site to remember those who died.
Gallery
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A view along the 'wing' shape of the memorial
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Close-up of the newer memorial plaque
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Close-up of the original plaque from 1960
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The original memorial from 1960
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Both the old and new memorial plaques
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The scene with both the old and new memorials
Images for kids
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Plaque of Memorial Cairn (1960) at the site of the disaster
