The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Coomalie Creek, NT. November 1944. Armourers from No. 31 (Beaufighter) Squadron RAAF lift a rocket from a bomb trolley prior to fitting the warhead to the rocket.
This particular aircraft, serial A19-189, was a British made Beaufighter Mk.X with the British serial number NE229, which arrived in Australia on 16 February 1944. Whilst serving with 31 Squadron RAAF during 1944 it was known to have carried the Squadron code EH-V. Shortly after this image was taken in December 1944 it was transferred to 30 Squadron RAAF and given the squadron code 'LY-V'.
On 15 June 1945, whilst serving with 5 Operational Training Unit (5 OTU) from Williamtown, NSW and being flown by pilot Flying Officer C P Mallon and Navigator Pilot Officer E J Lines, it became lost on a cross-country flight in bad weather. After running out of fuel the crew attempted a wheels down landing at Nabiac Beach, NSW, about 100 kilometres north of Williamtown. A19-189 overturned during the crash and the aircraft was written off and converted to components in October 1945.
NEAR MOROTAI ISLAND, HALMAHERA ISLANDS, NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES. 1944-12-23. AN AUSTRALIAN-BUILT BEAUFIGHTER AIRCRAFT, CODE NAME EH-M, SERIAL NO. A8-20, OF NO. 31 SQUADRON RAAF FLOWN BY PILOT 415188 F
Darwin, NT. 1944-10-06. Informal portrait of Squadron Leader J.A.P. Boyd, DFC and Bar, pilot (left), and Flying Officer F. B. Anderson, navigator, of No. 31 Squadron RAAF beside their Bristol Beaufigh
Injected Polystyrene model DAP Beaufighter Mk21 depicting aircraft A8-20 of No.31 Squadron RAAF. The model is painted overall foliage green with black propellers and yellow propeller tips. Each side
VIVIGANI, GOODENOUGH ISLAND, PAPUA. 1943-12-26. A BEAUFIGHTER BOMBER AIRCRAFT, CODED LY-B, RAAF SERIAL NO. A19-134, OF NO. 30 (BEAUFIGHTER) SQUADRON RAAF, BEING OVERHAULED BY A SERVICING PARTY. THEY A
Studio portrait of 413534 Flying Officer (FO) Francis Herbert Cridland. Enlisting in the RAAF in September 1941, FO Cridland trained as a pilot and flew Beaufighters with 31 Squadron, RAAF, based in t
Studio portrait of 407575 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Francis Joseph (Frank) Gardiner of Broken Hill, NSW. A mine employer and trained pilot before enlisting in the RAAF in November 1940, Flt Lt Gardin
