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| RAAF No. 100 Squadron |
Pilot W/O Clement Batstone Wiggins, 405335 (MIA / KIA) Gatton, QLD Observer W/O Russell Henry Grigg, 405284 (MIA / KIA) Brisbane, QLD WAG FSgt Gordon Lewis Hamilton, 414022 (MIA / KIA) Brisbane, QLD WAG FSgt Albert Beckett, 408343 (MIA / KIA) Launceston, TAS MIA September 5, 1943 Aircraft History Built by the Department of Aircraft Production (DAP) at Fishermans Bend in Melbourne. Delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Beaufort Mark VIII serial number A9-186. Wartime History Assigned to No. 100 Squadron with fuselage code QH-? (single letter unknown). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On September 5, 1943 at 5:20am took off from Gurney Field (No. 1 Strip) near Milne Bay piloted by W/O Clement B. Wiggins as one of ten on a bombing mission to bomb Gasmata Airfield. Over the target, attacked by enemy fighters, none of the crew were observed to bail out. Other aircraft reported flames and black smoke column 7-8 miles north of the target indicating a crash. Another crash was reportedly south of the center of Gasmata Airfield. When this Beaufort failed to return, the entire crew were listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Also was Beaufort A9-374 (MIA), Beaufort A9-183 (MIA) and Beaufort A9-362 (force landed, crew unhurt). Officially, this aircraft was written off on September 9, 1943. Search During April 1946 a RAAF Searcher Team led by S/L Keith Rundle searched for this aircraft without results. Wreckage During 2020, an underwater crash site was found at a depth of 43 meters / 141 feet by a dive team from Ocean Ecology Pty Ltd working for Dr. Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest who was searching for his uncle F/O David Forrest pilot of Beaufort A9-188 missing in the same area. In 2022, a team Dr. Andrew Forrest returned to identify the wreckage accompanied by two members of Historical Unrecovered War Casualties (HUWC). Using divers, the team was able to identify the wreckage as A9-186 despite fire damage and decades of sediment and marine growth. The identity plate and cockpit lever were recovered and exported by a permit from the National Museum and Art Gallery (NMAG). The team also recovered small amounts of bone material that were analyzed by anthropologists and DNA specialists and were identified as remains of W/O Clement B. Wiggins and W/O Russell H. Grigg. No remains were found of the two crew: FSgt Gordon L. Hamilton or FSgt Albert Beckett who remain listed as missing. Dr. Forrest said in an Australian Defense statement: “We must never forget the sacrifices these young men and women made. They had their entire lives ahead of them yet were prepared to risk it all to defend our country and our way of life." Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at Bita Paka Cemetery on the Rabaul Memorial on panel 35. The crew are also memorialized at the Australian War Memorial (AWM) on the roll of honor. Wiggins on panel 105. References Previously, three of the crew: Wiggins, Grigg and Hamilton survived the crash of Beaufort A9-266 on April 12, 1943 at Cabbage Tree Creek, NSW in Australia. WW2 Nominal Roll - Clement Batstone Wiggins WW2 Nominal Roll - Russell Henry Grigg WW2 Nominal Roll - Gordon Lewis Hamilton WW2 Nominal Roll - Albert Beckett NAA RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 100 Squadron Mar 42 - Aug 46 (NAA: A9186, 123) page 225 "5/Sept/43 Strike against Gasmata - Ten aircraft from this squadron. Three Beauforts failed to return. Two seen to be hit by enemy A.A. fire and crash. Fire and smoke observed about 7 miles N.E. Gasmata assumed to be the third. Details of missing aircraft and the crews which are posted 'Missing, Believed killed' are: A9-374 F/Lt R. H. Woolacott [sic Woollacott] pilot A9-183 F/O R. B. Anderson pilot A9-186 F/Sgt C. B. Wiggins pilot A9-362 was damaged by enemy A.A. fire and ground looped and crashed on landing at Goodenough due to tyre being shot away. The aircraft was not repairable and was converted to component parts. Crew, none of whom were injured, comprised: F/O. C. S. Walsh pilot." RAAF Status Card - Beaufort A9-186 CWGC - Clement Batstone Wiggins FindAGrave - Warrant Officer Clement Batstone Wiggins (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Clement Batstone Wiggins (AWM panel 105) CWGC - Russell Henry Grigg FindAGrave - Warrant Officer Russell Henry Grigg (photo, Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Russell Henry Grigg (AWM panel 104) CWGC - Gordon Lewis Hamilton FindAGrave - Flight Sergeant Gordon Lewis Hamilton (photo, Rabaul Memorial photo) CWGC - Albert Beckett FindAGrave - Flight Sergeant Albert Beckett (Rabaul Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Albert Beckett (AWM panel 104) ADF Serials - Beaufort A9-186 The Australian "Twiggy in hunt for lost plane" September 1, 2020 Australian Defense "Missing RAAF WWII bomber and crew discovered in Papua New Guinea" April 10, 2024 "Air Force has positively identified a Number 100 Squadron (100SQN) World War II Beaufort aircraft (A9-186) first reported missing in 1943, along with its four crew members. The aircraft was discovered recently after a challenging mission in the waters south of Gasmata, Papua New Guinea." Thanks to Andrew Forrest for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 10, 2024 |
 Beaufort  43m / 141' MIA 4 Missing 2 Resolved |
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