Beaufort A9-497

Meet the site

A9-497 was a Bristol Beaufort bomber, the Australian-built version of the British torpedo and reconnaissance aircraft, 13.5 m long with a 17.6 m wingspan. It flew with 1 Squadron RAAF from Gould airfield, about 100 km south of Darwin. On 26 November 1944 it developed engine trouble on a mission and turned back towards Darwin; the second engine then failed and the crew of four ditched at sea. They took about five hours to reach land, were spotted by a Catalina flying boat and were picked up by a launch the next day. All survived.

The aircraft was found by chance during a routine sonar survey commissioned by the Australian Hydrographic Office, clear enough on the imagery for experts to identify the type and how it landed. DSAC records a 2023 inspection by the NT Heritage Branch with club divers, and the discovery was publicised by Defence in January 2025. The wreck lies in about 18 m and is remarkably intact: throttles, gauges and cables remain in the cockpit, both engines and propellers are in place, and the gun turret still holds its machine gun pointing to port. Defence has stated that A9-497 will remain undisturbed under Northern Territory management. It is included here because it is part of the Darwin wreck record and a significant addition to it, but divers should not expect to visit unless the Heritage Branch opens access. It joins a growing list of Beauforts found off the NT and elsewhere in northern Australia by modern survey work, each adding detail to the story of the RAAF's strike squadrons in the north-west area campaign of 1942-45.

What you might see

Not documented

Location

Seabed off Darwin (Timor Sea approaches) where the RAAF Beaufort ditched in 1944; position not published.