Interestingly enough, people have reported seeing a young woman standing near the edge of the clearing at the Canberra Disaster Memorial. Nah! Just great! I was afraid, but it was a fear unrelated to the crash - I imagined that something awful and malevolent lurked here - but it was not the spirits of the victims. Even during the day the area around the memorial is spooky. The bodies were removed from the scene and taken directly to the morgue for identification and autopsy. I continue up the track and into a breeze which begins to wail a mournful tune through the thousands of pine needles and around the corner, my torch illuminates an ominous sign Do not touch anything. Air Disaster Memorial [Ghost Strikes Again] 30 September 2009 | Panhead Join the conversation 16 Trekked out there a few nights ago and were victims of the car stalling and rolling forward experience. [32], On 12 August 2020, the day before the 80th anniversary of the crash, Michael Wooldridge, a former Minister of the Australian Government, wrote a revelatory story in The Australian. privacy policy. For many years, this monolith was the only memorial to a disaster which changed the course of the war for Australia, and was partially responsible for the fall of the Menzies government. Wooldridge discussed the matter with White early in his tenure as a politician, and said that White kept the secret for 50 years, and he did for another 30 years.[33]. A World War I veteran who had been awarded the Military Cross, Street entered Federal Parliament in 1934 and became Minister for Defence in 1938. A granite monolith marks the site of the crash. The same car was spotted speeding past the Canberra airport towards Queanbeyan about 10-15 minutes later. instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser, Eight destinations that films and TV shows changed forever, From borders to tunnels, here are 10 of the world's astonishingly long things. Did one of the bodies found in the cockpit have a disfigured right arm? National Film and Sound Archives One of the mates freaked out and sat in the car and the other mate tried to approach her, she ran off again into the darkness of the trees. Of course, this makes absolutely no sense whatsoever as no nurse died in the rescue attempt and as far as I can ascertain, no WWII nurse has ever died on Mount Ainslie. To make matters worse, it suddenly dawns upon me the uncanny resemblance that a pine cone bears to a hand grenade, especially in near darkness. In many cases, yes. [9] Two other ministers, George McLeay and Arthur Fadden, were also invited, but declined seats as they had already arranged to take the train. The Air Disaster Memorial is dedicated to the memory of those who died when an RAAF Lockheed Hudson aircraft crashed on this site on 13th August 1940. . The crash took place at 10:15a.m. in fine weather, in what the Melbourne Herald called "ideal flying conditions". On the 13th August 1940, a Lockheed Hudson II Bomber crashed at Mount Ainslie in the Australian Capital Territory just outside of Queanbeyan in New South Wal. With my clothes wet from a nervous sweat and the temperature struggling to stay above freezing I reach for my camera to take a photo of the memorial. [31], The conclusion of the Murphy and Lachal reports was immediately disputed by the RAAF's Director of Training George Jones, who stated "I cannot believe that a pilot of Hitchcock's experience would stall the aircraft under the circumstances which apparently existed". For many years now, the crash site has sparked tales of distressing apparitions. Over time the costs of maintaining this website have risen substantially (in fact they are probably larger than those of many companies who exist for profit). [30] Lachal's report went into more depth and consideration of technical detail, but reached the same conclusion, that the crash was "due to the aircraft stalling when approaching the aerodrome to land" and that "the accident was due to an error of judgment on the part of the pilot". View, Emily Jayne I was about to tag you ! One other issue raised in the aftermath of the crash concerned the almost impossible travel itinerary imposed on Government Ministers at that time, a burden which had them regularly travelling between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. A. F. Corporal John Frederick Palmer, R. A. Canberra's best regional produce is just a click away. He was elected to Parliament in 1925, becoming Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 1929 to 1930, Minister for Trade and Customs from 1928 to 1929 and 1932 to 1933, Minister without portfolio from 1934 to 1937, Minister for External Affairs and Information from 1939 to 1940, and was appointed vice-president of the Executive Council in March 1940. Surrounded by thick vegetation the memorial is simply a large rock sitting on a round bed of gravel. Deja not-so vu: plenty to surprise audiences at the 2023 French Film Festival, New multi-day walk set to take trekkers on a stunning South Coast journey, 'A great deal of hurt': Footage shows Thomas Matthews crashing car into three police officers. Staff Officer to Gen. White, Mr. Richard Edwin Elford It was a disaster from which Menzies United Australia Party government never managed to recover. And yet, if it is a spooky place during the day, and moreso at night, then why? There are HEAPS of live music events, large View. Most likely even before Dr. Nott actually arrived on the scene, the police and fireman realized that a doctor was not going to be necessary. In the decades since, the crash. Blundells Cottage I believe that ghosts are usually some type of energy imprint thats left behind. A few documented stories. Pssst did you know there's more to Enlighten than its signature events? Hey guys Anthony hereI went out to the air disaster memorial in canberra and all was going good until I heard a strange noise coming from the bushes, I am no. But this alone should not make it more spooky or overwhelming than say the site of a train crash, or a car crash. Are they deluded or deranged? View, Opportunities to acquire skills and improve their chances of successful reintegration into the View, Major events are generally infrequent, scheduled, well managed with a defined finish time and View, We have lots of major events (music and otherwise) that attract interstate visitors and bring in View, And just a little hint for those who might not be aware. This columns recent expose on the Air Disaster Memorial (ADM) has promoted a large amount of correspondence, particularly regarding on the sites spooky nature. The loss of so many men vital to Australias war effort was a severe blow to the country. Suddenly, I hear a rustle behind me. It is quiet and still, in fact, so much so that one imagines that they can hear sounds, even in the light of day. Vandalism or public liability perhaps? They flash really quick but they also could've also been raindrops as it was spitting a bit. It may explode and kill you! Ive taken a wrong turn and have reached the boundary of the adjacent military target area (the original access to the memorial). Unlike most other places, this location has more than one legend attached to it. A granite monolith marks the site of the crash. If you arent occasionally spooked, I reckon you have no imagination. I could hear scuttling from underneath the trees. Its just past 11pm and as I carefully clamber over the first gate it immediately feels like Ive entered another realm. The crash killed ten people, four of whom were senior members of the Australian Government. AIR DISASTER MEMORIAL The haunting: On August 13, 1940, a Lockheed Hudson bomber plummeted into this hill, burst into flames, sadly killing all 10 people on board. A March 01, 2023 | Country Getaways, Food & Drink, Dining, Travel, Entertainment, Music. Thememorial itself embodied sadness, the inscription and the names discerned by the feeble light of my torch. Canberra's best regional produce is just a click away. A night at the Kurrajong may result in a terrific sleep or, if the late Ben Chifley is up to his usual antics, you may not sleep at all. On leaving I could see and hear kangaroos jumping ahead and behind me. Collaboratively and competitively delivered across the nation. Business and technology stories from the Canberra region. When I first began researching these legends, I figured that the location probably wasnt haunted, but the more information I uncovered, the more I started to question if maybe it was haunted after all. Hang around long enough and you may just hear very faint whistling (and not from any live lips)! I was glad to encounter them, as their presence meant that loose dogs were unlikely. James Fairbairn, Minister for Air and Civil Aviation. Thought you all maybe interested in this little video I made of the Air Disaster memorial in Canberra Australia. The Canberra Fire Brigade and ambulances from Canberra and Queanbeyan, across the border in New South Wales, as well as several Air Force tenders, arrived soon afterwards and fire extinguishers were played on the blazing wreckage. But why leave her body at a location that people visit? Another oddity about the inquest is the causes of death. My melancholic contemplation is broken by the noise of an aeroplane. Private Secretary to the Minister for Air. Where to eat, what to drink in the Canberra region. One of the odd things about this crash was that for a lot of people, the inquiry into the accident left more questions rather than answers. If Monument Australia is useful to you, please make a donation to keep this historical and educational resource available. Mackellar was a general practitioner with limited experience in forensic medicine,[21] and faced difficulties in distinguishing between the victims' bodies which had been burned beyond recognition. Rather than spooks emerging from the darkness, the only thing I need to be wary of are mountain bike riders hurtling at breakneck speed around corners. Tritton had told White that he had been allowed access to the crash site itself, and the body of Fairbairn was still strapped into the pilot's seat. The fatalities included several members of Robert Menzies' ministry who were flying to Canberra for an important war cabinet meeting. March 01, 2023 | Food & Drink, Entertainment. [2], A16-97, the aircraft involved in the crash, was part of a batch of 100 Lockheed Hudson bombers newly ordered for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). R. G. Menzies, who had also been Prime Minister at the time of the accident. Speculation arose that it was during this time that Minister Fairbairn changed seats with the co-pilot, Richard Wisener. It sounds quite close. [20], Goodwin's report, issued on 27 August, accepted the identification of the victims made by Duncan Mackellar, the medical superintendent of Canberra Hospital. The path goes up another small hill, a turn to the right, then onward. Nurses honour one of their best with unique statue to be installed at War Memorial, Odd jobs: horror movies are real life for Canberra's paranormal investigators, Candid shot of college years going 'up in smoke' finalist in photography competition, Things to do in Canberra this week (22 - 28 April). The Air Disaster Memorial has a dark history with vehicles, Ten key moments from 95 years of the Canberra Airport. Anyone else have any stories? Where to eat, what to drink in the Canberra region. The Air Disaster Memorial and other Canberra spooky places have been discussed previously on RiotACT here, here and here. Some commentators used this issue to demand, once again, that all Commonwealth Administration occur at one Seat of Government. But I felt, that little animals made the noise. Officials at the time stated it was because it was warming up, however the plane had just recently completed a flight and no warm-up would have been necessary. The cairn commemorates ten people, including three Commonwealth Ministers and the Chief of the General Staff, who were killed in 1940 when their Royal Australian Air Force Lockheed Hudson crashed while circling prior to landing at Fairbairn Airport. Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Behind, is the older memorial, erected on the site of the crash in 1960; a single monolith of stone with a metal plaque. Three Commonwealth Ministers and the Chief of the General Staff were travelling from Melbourne to attend a Cabinet meeting. Thankfully its neither. But it is. Surrounded by thick vegetation the memorial is simply a large rock sitting on a round bed of gravel. Air Disaster Memorial It's been 75 years since a Lockheed Hudson bomber crashed into a hill between Canberra airport and Queanbeyan, killing 10 people. Build in 1833, its Canberras oldest building and home to the citys most famous ghost Sophia Susanna Campbell. Business and technology stories from the Canberra region. Feel free to shout me a beer!https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/gHOSTbITCHESSome links if yr interested in reading more about ithttps://www.thedeadhistory.com/the-burning-airman-canberra-australia/https://www.nca.gov.au/air-disaster-memorialhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1940_Canberra_air_disaster in 1940, Australia still had not committed fully to Canberra as its National Capital. Its an interesting place, quite eerie, but this is expected given its remote location, the history of the place, and the stories that circulate about it. They were either young and in their prime, or in positions of great power. This energy then replaying over and over again, usually of either the last moments of the persons life or something that the person would do regularly. Sections of this page. However it was not until Dame Annabelle Rankin wrote to the then Minister for Air, William McMahon, about the request by Sir Brundenell White`s relatives that a small cairn be erected at the point of the crash in memory of those who lost their lives, that the suggestion was given serious consideration. victims of the car stalling and rolling forward experience. "This was a dreadful calamity," he told the House of Representatives the next day. And yet, probably the most interesting, and disturbing is the story of Keren Rowland, a 20 year old girl who was murdered in 1971 and whose decomposing body was later found close to the memorial itself. Pilot of doomed RAAF bomber can finally be revealed - The biggest cover-up in Australian political history is finally revealed. It changed him from sceptic to true believer in an instant. Richard Edwin Elford. [5] A daily inspection was completed on the morning of the flight and signed off by the pilot Bob Hitchcock. These ten people included three cabinet ministers, Australias top Army general, a lieutenant colonel, a private secretary for the air minister and four R.A.A.F crew members. This week we honored the victims of the 9/11 attack, the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history. Loving their jobs, theyve refused to move on and linger around to lend a helping hand. Live it up, Lakeside.New spaces. White returned to the Army as Chief of the General Staff in 1940. As a general election was already due by the end of the year, it was felt prudent to call it for September, to avoid the necessity of also holding three by-elections for such a short term. Expanded menu. Australian War Memorial [3] The aircraft had 7 hours and 10 minutes of flying time,[4] of which 2 hours and 35 minutes had been completed by Lockheed test pilots. His latest book, WYRD- A Personal Journey Into the Beliefs and Philosophies of the Known and Unknown (CFZ Press Devon England) is now available. The Air Disaster Memorial has a dark history with vehicles, Ten key moments from 95 years of the Canberra Airport. Another story regarding the Air Disaster Memorial is even less believable in that a young girl was once found dead under a 500 kilogram cattle grid although the ground around the grid had not been disturbed. News and analysis of APS, ACT public sector and diplomatic corp policy, politics and people. It was received by the No. The stories behind the people and places that make Canberra what it is. Of course, there is only one way to find out. Minister of State for the Army : Minister of State for Repatriation, The Honourable Sir Henry Somer Gullett, K. C. M. 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