RAAF flypast remembers Pt Addis tragedy

JUST over eight decades ago, a B-25D Mitchell bomber crashed off Point Addis near Anglesea, marking a tragic chapter in Australia’s wartime history.

On December 8, families of the three fallen air crew, along with descendants of the locals who rescued the survivors, gathered to commemorate the 80th anniversary and honour the lives lost and the courage that followed.

The bomber took off from RAAF Laverton on December 11, 1944 for a routine weapons test on but crashed into the sea after a fire broke out.

 

Captain of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant Robert Wines, Squadron Leader Frederick McGrill, and Leading Aircraftman Ronald Cavanagh were killed in the crash.

However, Flight Lieutenant Albert Claire and Leading Aircraftman Dennis Roberts survived. The pair were thrown clear of the wreckage and rescued by local fishers.

“It’s difficult to express the loss felt by those of us who never met our loved ones,” Grant Reeckmann, nephew of Flight Lieutenant Wines, said.

“But today, we are reminded not just of the tragedy, but of the bravery that emerged.”We gather together in tribute of the sacrifice of these men, and the courage of those who did everything they could to save them.”

The brave actions of Allan Smith and Bill Thompson, who risked their lives in the rough seas to bring Flight Lieutenant Claire and Leading Aircraftman Roberts back to shore were a central part of this story of survival.

 

The December 8 server saw the families of those involved and community gathered at Point Addis for a memorial service.

It included an address from Squadron Leader Christopher Hayden.

“We gather here today not just to mourn, but to honour the extraordinary courage shown by all involved.

“The sacrifices made remind us that in times of tragedy, humanity shines brightest.”

The ceremony concluded with a flypast at 11.07am, the exact time the crash occurred, by a CAC Winjeel aircraft from 100 Squadron.

Attendees then the visited the Anglesea Historical Society, where an exhibition about crash was unveiled.