Pilot of doomed RAAF bomber can finally be revealed - The biggest cover-up in Australian political history is finally revealed. It sounds quite close. A Narrabundah reader recently attempted his own nocturnal visit, and like me, left more than a little unnerved. James Fairbairn had served in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and still enjoyed flying. However, during the inquest hearings rumors began circulating that the Air Minister, James Fairbairn was overheard saying that he was hoping to get a chance to fly the plane during this short trip. The original plaque has been replaced on several occasions because of theft or vandalism. Thought you all maybe interested in this little video I made of the Air Disaster memorial in Canberra Australia. . Not only was this crash a tragedy for all of the family and friends of the men killed, but it was also a tragedy for Australia; the prime minister had just lost some of his closest friends and allies. Extract taken from A Case for Ghosts by JG Montgomery (Ginninderra Press 2012). [32], On 12 August 2020, the day before the 80th anniversary of the crash, Michael Wooldridge, a former Minister of the Australian Government, wrote a revelatory story in The Australian. The path goes up another small hill, a turn to the right, then onward. footsteps, breaking twigs and people talking. At 8.47 a.m. he and three crew members left RAAF Laverton for Essendon Airport. At some point we all became aware of occasional noises coming from scrub it was the sound of someone walking through the bush i.e. For further reading, check out the following links: National Archives of Australia fact sheet 142 Tritton had told White that he had been allowed access to the crash site itself, and the body of Fairbairn was still strapped into the pilot's seat. Some of our group also swear they saw a person on the track leading up to the memorial. And yet, if it is a spooky place during the day, and moreso at night, then why? A visit to the Air Disaster Memorial, Canberra Australia. The site is hemmed in by the pine plantation and some of the native eucalyptus trees that still survive from the time of the accident. But it is. I've never experienced Theres the teenager who left the surrounding forest screaming that she was being followed by an airman on fire and many folk have heard dull explosions and the noise of a crashing plane. The stories behind the people and places that make Canberra what it is. Brigadier Geoffrey Street, Minister for the Army and Repatriation. It was the first Hudson in the RAAF to be fitted out with passenger seating, to be reserved for transporting "essential maintenance stores and personnel to advanced operational bases", as well as ministerial traffic when required. Its an interesting place, quite eerie, but this is expected given its remote location, the history of the place, and the stories that circulate about it. The latest news as it happens from Canberra and the surrounding region. Two friendly ghosts remain, and staff at the Mint believe they were once staff members themselves. Air Cdre Charles Clarke crash memorial.jpg 1,360 1,020; 366 KB B-HRX accident monument.JPG 2,048 1,536; 520 KB B24 Bomber crash memorial - geograph.org.uk - 159929.jpg 640 480; 95 KB One week on, how many drivers have Canberra's new mobile phone detection cameras busted? Surrounded by thick vegetation the memorial is simply a large rock sitting on a round bed of gravel. The plane was bringing the Ministers and high officials from Melbourne in 1940 for an important cabinet meeting when it nose dived into the hill and subsequently burst into flames. Richard Edwin Elford. Rhetorical question. Collaboratively and competitively delivered across the nation. If the supernatural were real, it would be natural. Here lies unexploded ordnance. Just 3.2 kilometres off Pialligo Avenue is the Canberra Air Disaster Memorial, a large granite monolith with a commemorative plaque that marks the location of a plane crash in 1940. View, Mookie Moo we will have flying trains by then View, Lets hope for a progressive Gov in NSW in March that would see the political angle removed with View, Justin Watson yes perhaps. [3] The aircraft had 7 hours and 10 minutes of flying time,[4] of which 2 hours and 35 minutes had been completed by Lockheed test pilots. Do the spirits of these men haunt the pine forests and lonely dirt roads that lead to the memorial itself? Most likely even before Dr. Nott actually arrived on the scene, the police and fireman realized that a doctor was not going to be necessary. Expert strata, facilitiesand building management services. The next weekend they took new friends up there to show them what they had seen there again, the little girl was, standing by the gate. but according to some, there are other memories of the crash still around as well. Sections of this page. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall. The cause of the crash has always been a mystery, although there has never been any suggestion of enemy action or sabotage. I dont think I've View, Great work, looking forward to seeing the progress. Resolution of conflict withincommunities, workplace, families. Its age-old hallways were once lined with hundreds of skulls and today it has at least three known spooks playing havoc in many of the darkened rooms and old cinema. A private memorial service for the families of the victims of the 1996 TWA Flight 800 explosion is being held on Saturday, 25 years after the disaster that killed 230 people and just before the . Curious to see for yourself? A unique, three hour experience visiting sites of crimes, hauntings and murder in Australia's national capital. When you first arrive at the base of the hill near the Canberra Speedway and the Paintball sports ground it feels like you cannot possibly be in the right place. It changed him from sceptic to true believer in an instant. He gained the Repatriation portfolio in 1940. Your one-stop destination for the latest Capital region property and real estate news. Ooooh, spooky! Air Disaster Memorial It's been 75 years since a Lockheed Hudson bomber crashed into a hill between Canberra airport and Queanbeyan, killing 10 people. How Canberra could become a test case for high-speed rail, First Look: NoshersCBR - the Belconnen food van producing fantastic burgers, Minister vowed to double down on Robodebt even when told it was illegal, royal commission hears, Department of Finance executives encouraged conduct in alleged fraud conspiracy, barrister claims, Big agenda, big deal if the APS isn't at capacity, Getting loud about live music and the night-time economy. In many cases, yes. With my clothes wet from a nervous sweat and the temperature struggling to stay above freezing I reach for my camera to take a photo of the memorial. General Sir Cyril White, Chief of the General Staff. Tripologist: Can we explore the Bordeaux region by train? Can all these people be wrong? The Canberra Air Disaster On the morning of August 13, 1940, a Lockheed Hudson, registration number A16-97 was on the way to Canberra from Melbourne. Her parents conducted an exhaustive search and no real leads turned up. For many years now, the crash site has sparked tales of distressing apparitions. He was serving as Army Liaison Officer on the General Staff at the time of his death. At the far end a grey metal plaque has been erected on an aerodynamic lectern, its surface weathered by hard Canberra winters. Expert strata, facilitiesand building management services. All rights reserved. It's located in the country, in East Bethany, NY (near Rochester and Buffalo) and there are said to have been 17,000 people buried with unmarked graves. [2], A16-97, the aircraft involved in the crash, was part of a batch of 100 Lockheed Hudson bombers newly ordered for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Subscribe to receive the latest local voices straight to your inbox. Could the strange sightings and activity at the Canberra Disaster Memorial be connected to these two tragic events, or is it simply an urban legend. I regained the car and returned to my home - but the memory of that sinister place lingers with me still.. Yep we have spooks from all walks of death, some born from suspicious circumstances, terrible endings and others that have simply refused to move on. In the decades since, the crash. According to Tinny from Destiny Tours her ghost has been seen standing on the edge of a clearing, a brown sepia image that people have described accurately as her, even down to such details as having her hair pulled back, something she rarely did, but had done so on the day of her death. ALSO. the Air Disaster Memorial is located in the Fairbairn Pine Plantation part of the greater Mount Ainslie. Interestingly enough, people have reported seeing a young woman standing near the edge of the clearing at the Canberra Disaster Memorial. Three Commonwealth Ministers and the Chief of the General Staff were travelling from Melbourne to attend a Cabinet meeting. The monolith was dedicated on 13 August 1960 in the presence of the Prime Minister, the Hon. Within moments of leaving the car park, and starting up the hill the noise below disappears, cut off by the trees and the loan moan of the wind. Sarah Collins you will have to make a special trip to the north side so we can go!!! Theres nothing unusual about a car stalling and then rolling forward. It was a hospital and a psych ward. And yet, thinking back, I am now not so sure. A break in the trees on your left reveals a low cement plinth in the shape of an aeroplane wing stretching toward you. They dwell in gardens, darkened hallways and have been known to throw rooms into disarray. I stumble on a pine cone. Here is his chilling account. Can all these people be wrong? privacy policy. The loss of so many men vital to war administration in Australia at the time was a devastating blow. Courtesy National Archives of Australia As we commemorate Armistice Day we remember the WWII service and sacrifice of Strathfield Pilot Officer Richard Frederick Wiesener who died in 1940, aged 29. I was sure Id charged the camera fully before leaving home. Ohh and is this near the paintball field? The concrete kerb around the monolith appears to have been replaced before this time. Once a morgue, the National Film and Sound Archives is heaving with paranormal activity. If you stop your car within a certain distance from the guard, your car will stall. An interpretive plaque and concrete traffic island were unveiled in the presence of the Honourable Wilson Tuckey MP, Minister for Regional Services, Territories and Local Government, on 13 August 2003, the anniversary of the crash. Some people get little orbs of light in their photos here which paranormal aficionados suggest is evidence of ghostly energy. Given this, we still must wonder about the ten men killed on the fateful day in August. However it was not until Dame Annabelle Rankin wrote to the then Minister for Air, William McMahon, about the request by Sir Brundenell White`s relatives that a small cairn be erected at the point of the crash in memory of those who lost their lives, that the suggestion was given serious consideration. The monolith was dedicated on 13 August 1960 in the . Mackellar had attested that it would be "fairly safe to assume that all ten men were killed when the plane hit the ground". On board were 6 government officials and 4 crew members who all perished in the crash.It is alleged that the crash site is one of Canberra's most haunted sites so of course I had to go and check it out.Airmen on fire have been sighted.Ghostly figures have been also been seen darting across the pathways, disembodied footsteps and even the sound of a phantom plane crash have all been witnessed.What I wasn't prepared for was the epic hike to get to it.. so I sucked it up and took my time.Was it sabotage?Or was it an accident?Who knows.You can see some light anomolies captured after the 16 minute mark, after the spirit box session. Menzies sent Tritton to the crash site to find out the details. On 13th August 1940, three Commonwealth ministers, the Chief of General Staff, two of their staff and four crew members flew in a RAAF Lockheed Houston aeroplane from Melbourne to Canberra to attend a Cabinet meeting. Most are convinced its the ghost of 16-year-old Florrie Blundell who died in 1892 from terrible burns. Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. The splat of the paintball guns and the hollers of the revellers seem distinctly out-of-place. Visiting the site after dark is not for the feint hearted and there have been a ghost story or two associated with the site over the years. If so, Id love to hear from you. Although a dedicated sceptic and staunch unbeliever in anything supernatural, I HAVE been to a few places where Id be reluctant to spend the night. Unlike most other places, this location has more than one legend attached to it. [Ed] And there the story ended as though the ghost had come to finish poor Panhead off. On the evening of February 26, 1971, a 20-year-old woman named Keren Rowland went missing. Live music. Air Disaster Memorial [Ghost Strikes Again] 30 September 2009 | Panhead Join the conversation 16 Trekked out there a few nights ago and were victims of the car stalling and rolling forward experience. According to, Last edited on 28 November 2022, at 06:06, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Australian Capital Territory Advisory Council, Air Disaster Canberra: the plane crash that destroyed a government, "Lockheed Hudson Mark II Serial Number A16-97", The 1940 Canberra air disaster that changed history and the unanswered questions that remain. Even though the plane practically pancaked onto the ground, many people suggested the crash would have been survivable for many had it not immediately burst into flames. War I and still enjoyed Flying stories and send them straight to your inbox day and! The Mint believe they were once Staff members themselves monolith appears to have been known to throw rooms disarray... 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