This Day in History: 1942-07-15

Two USAAF Bell P-400 Airacobra aircraft crashed in Queensland in separate incidents on 15 July 1942. On the morning of 15 July 1942, 2nd Lieutenant Tevis C. Ferguson (0431958) of the 80th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, USAAF, based at Petrie Airfield, crashed into Moreton Bay after misjuding his altitude. He had made several passes over the RAAF station at Sandgate. He was killed when his left wing clipped the water causing his aircraft to crash. Then at about 4:00pm a P-400 aircraft piloted by 1st Lt. Joseph P. Cole (0396106) also of the 80th Fighter Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group, USAAF, based at Petrie Airfield, crashed into Moreton Bay in front of the RAAF Station at Sandgate, less than half a mile from where Ferguson had crashed in the morning. Cole was on a practice alert mission at the time. Source: Australia @ War website