On Tuesday, 26th June 1951 at accident involving an RAF Coles Crane occurred at No.91 Maintenance Sub-Unit at Melbourne airfield. The vehicle was being driven on the perimeter track toward an area of stored bombs on the airfield prior to be used to load the bombs to another vehicle. In the cab along with the driver were four other airmen. As it neared the bombs and to get between two water tanks the driver drove over some rough ground. He later stated that he felt a bump and the steering wheel was knocked out of his hand, the vehicle then took a sharp turn which he overcorrected and it overturned. Unfortunately the accident killed one and injured four others.
AC1 Gerald Arthur Thompson RAF (2460650). Aged 19. Buried Bowling Cemetery, Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Driver - Cpl George Hall RAF (1003249).
AC2 William Valentine Hope RAF (2575717).
AC1 George Sneddon RAF (2464034).
AC2 C Hart RAF (2483006).