The Story of Hudson A16-113
The Lockheed Hudson was a vital workhorse for the RAAF during World War II, serving in maritime patrol, reconnaissance, and bombing operations around Australia's coastline.
The Night Training Mission On the evening of Friday, May 4, 1945, Hudson A16-113 took off from RAAF Base East Sale at 1913 hours on a night operation training mission (OT8). The planned route was to take the aircraft via Paynesville and Patts River before returning to East Sale.
Tragically, during the flight over the ocean, the Hudson crashed into the sea. In the days following the crash, only a single wheel and part of the undercarriage washed ashore on a beach near Ocean Grange, Victoria. The rest of the aircraft and its crew were swallowed by the ocean.
The Lost Crew Five brave RAAF airmen lost their lives in the crash:
- W/O F J Maughan (Serv# 412561) – Captain
- F/O A S Cullen (Serv# 406519) – Navigator
- W/O H L Hammersley (Serv# 406216) – Wireless Air Gunner
- F/Sgt R C Smith (Serv# 431219) – Wireless Air Gunner
- Sgt F W Walker (Serv# 449941) – Gunner
Ongoing Hunt
In December 2023, the Southern Ocean Exploration (SOE) team launched a targeted survey mission out of Lakes Entrance to investigate a potential site. Utilizing intelligence provided by Fallen Diggers in conjunction with RAAF records, a three-man SOE survey team crossed the Lakes Entrance bar at first light and pushed through the ocean swell.
Hydrographic scanning initial readings confirmed an anomaly resting on the seafloor large enough to be an aircraft. However, upon further investigation and subsequent verification, the target was confirmed not to be the missing Hudson A16-113.
While this target was ruled out, the mission provided invaluable survey data of the area. The search for Hudson A16-113 continues, with the SOE team actively refining historical records and scan grids to locate the final resting place of the five RAAF crew members and bring long-overdue closure to their sacrifice.