Australian bomber shot down with 4 crew in 1943 identified off the coast of Papua New Guinea

By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Officials have confirmed the identities of an Australian bomber and the remains of two air crew members more than 80 years after they crashed in flames off the coast of Papua New Guinea. The Royal Australian Air Force said in a statement on Wednesday that Beaufort bomber A9-186 was found in Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest’s ongoing search for his uncle Flying Officer David Forrest who has been missing in action since 1943.  Search expedition leader Steve Burnell says the bomber was found off the island of New Britain in 2020 but identification took 50 dives. It was a different bomber that had crashed four months after David Forrest’s. The search for David Forrest’s crew continues.