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Text submitted by Ian (Moose) GULLY

28286 Flying Officer CARTER, Rothney Alex

 Source: AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/7/976 Commonwealth War Graves records

Aircraft Type: Liberator Serial number: KH 312

 Radio call sign:

 Unit: 358 Sqn RAF

 Summary: On the 2nd May 1945, Liberator KH312 crashed into the sea in the approx position of 18.38 North, 93,30 East.

Crew:

RAF Flt Lt Robinson, R W (1st Pilot) Missing

 RAAF 28286 FO Carter, E A (2nd Pilot) Killed

RAF FO Bull,W H (Navigator) Missing

 RAF Sgt A J Sherwood, (Air Bomber) Slightly Injured

RAF FO Bartlett, L C (1st Wireless Operator) Slightly Injured

 RAF Sgt E H A Andrews, (2nd Wireless Operator) Slightly Injured

RAF Sgt R Bell, (Air Gunner) Slightly Injured

RAF Sgt A Burling, (Air Gunner) Killed.

RAF Sgt T F Clark, (Air Gunner) Missing

FO Carter and Sgt Burling are buried in the Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar. The cemetery adjoins the village of Taukkyan which is about 35kms north of Yangon (formerly Rangoon).

Flt Lt Robinson, FO Bull and Sgt Clark have no known grave and their names are commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.

In a Court of Inquiry into the accident set up by RAF Station Jessore, the Court found that “The cause of the accident was threefold : - Failure of the No 1 engine from causes unknown. - Failure of the No 4 engine apparently from bearing failure. - The fact that the crew were not aware of the night landing facilities at Kyan and the fact that K type dinghies were not carried on the aircraft. This was considered to be responsible for one if not three deaths. No blame can be attributed to any person for the engines failures.”

Author: Alan Storr – AWM ref. images/collection/pdf/RC09125_008- -1-.pdf:

The crew, who previously set a time record for a Liberator sortie in this area of 20 hours 39 minutes, was returning to Base at RAF Jessore, Bengal, British India (now Bangladesh), following a successful mission, when the port outer engine failed and when over Cheduba Island the starboard outer engine also cut out.  At 0029hrs on 1 May, 1945, the Liberator ditched heavily in the sea, 30 miles south-west of Cheduba Island, Burma.  The aircraft broke up rapidly.  Survivors swam ashore..  There were four survivors and five crew were killed.  Survivors were rescued by USAAF Catalina flying boat.  F/O Carter died of wounds on 2 May, 1945.  He was 26 years old.

358 Squadron, at this time, was a special duties squadron dropping agents and supplies to resistance groups in Japanese held territory.

 Trove – The Advertiser 7 May, 1945, pg5:  Admitted to hospital in Burma but died of wounds.

Rothney Alex CARTER was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 22nd June 1918

His parents were William Bertram CARTER & Ruby Evelyn Claudia BENSCH who married in Adelaide on 3rd October, 1908

He married Beryl Jean HOPKINS in South Australia on 15th March, 1941 - one son Darryl Rothney CARTER

Before enlisting in the RAAF he had served for 5 years in the Signals 4MD and 1 year in the RAE

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His brother Leonard Ronald CARTER (SN W1870) served in the RAN during WW2 (HMAS Penquin) and was discharged in 1946