Australian Forces

RAAF Lockheed Hudson, A16-66

Australian War Memorial

Lockheed Hudson, A16-66 of 13 Sqn RAAF stationed at Darwin. Pilot is either Flt Lt Herbert Nicholas, or Flt Lt Leslie Collings. On 28 and 29 November 1941, A16-66 had been involved with three other Hudsons in the fruitless search for survivors of HMAS Sydney. Each Hudson flew in parallel searches from Broome, Port Hedland and Carnarvon in Western Australia, but found nothing. 13 Squadron moved from Darwin to Ambon on 7 December 1941 to provide air support to the Dutch forces stationed there. On 26 January 1942, A16-66 and two other Hudsons (A16-125 and -71) were destroyed on the ground when four naval A6M2 Zeros from the 3rd Kokatai, or Naval Air Group, strafed Halong naval base on Ambon Island.