LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Ross CARTER
Service No: 410949
Born: Benalla VIC, 11 December 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 April 1942
Unit: No. 42 Squadron, Melville Bay NT
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 42 Squadron Catalina aircraft A24-365), between Melville Bay and Manila, 11 October 1945, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Mabel Ada Carter, of Brighton, Victoria
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 32, Labuan Memorial, Malaysia
Remembered: Panel 103, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Catalina Base Memorial, Rathmines NSW
A24-365 was on a non-operational travel flight between Melville Bay and Manila to collect Prisoners of War. The aircraft is believed to have stalled and crashed at about 0300 hours in position 07.57N 126.53E during manoeuvring for a Multiple Drift Wind Find. The survivors were rescued by US Forces.
The crew members of A24-365 were:
Flight Lieutenant Ronald Ross Carter (410949) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Ronald Patterson Condie (409382) (Navigator) Abrasions and bruises, Discharged from the RAAF: 10 May 1946
Flight Sergeant Edgar Bruce Edwards (441313) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Stewart Arthur Evans (12925) (Flight Engineer) Various injuries, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 January 1946
Sergeant Torrens Archibald Hawkes (8899) (Fitter IIA / Air Gunner) Various injuries, Discharged from the RAAF: 28 May 1946
Flight Sergeant John Richard White (436994) (Wireless Air Gunner) Abrasions and bruises, Discharged from the RAAF: 5 March 1946
Flight Lieutenant William Havilah Williams (412800) (Second Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9845, 150
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
McFarlane, C.C. (Cyrus C.) Tojo’s Fate: Australia’s secret war, Sid Harta Publishers Glen Waverley VIC 3150, 2009
McMillan A. (Andrew) Catalina Dreaming: rescues exciting missions and other stories about the famous Australian flying boats of WWII, Duffy and Snellgrove Potts Point NSW, 2002
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Catalina, Neptune and Orion in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1991