When Robert Burrowes answered a phone call from an Australian Defence Force genealogist asking if he was related to RAAF fighter Thomas Burrowes, he had no idea an 82‑year‑old mystery was about to be solved.
The wartime mission and its disappearance
Tom Burrowes, who had joined the RAAF cadets at 16 but was barred from becoming a pilot because of childhood rheumatic fever, served as a wireless air gunner in Papua New Guinea during the Pacific War.
At about 10 pm on 14 December 1943 he took part in his first bombing raid aboard Beaufort bomber A9‑211, one of nine No. 100 Squadron aircraft sent to bomb the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul.
Severe weather crippled the operation: only three planes hit the target, two bombed alternate sites, four turned back early and one aircraft failed to return at all.
The missing aircraft carried Flight Sergeants John Kenny, Arthur John Davies, Murray Fairbairn and Tom Burrowes.
Decades of uncertainty
For more than eight decades the wreck remained unrecovered, leaving Tom’s fate a lingering question for his family.
His twin brother Jim, a World War II coastwatcher at Rabaul, died in 2022 at 101 without ever learning where Tom rested.
Their older brother Bob perished as a prisoner of war when the Japanese transport Montevideo Maru sank in 1942, a wreck only identified in 2023.
The breakthrough discovery
In October, a week after the genealogist’s call, Robert Burrowes received a second call from Group Captain Grant Kelly, who led a specialised RAAF unit tasked with locating missing war casualties.
Kelly’s team traced the crash site to the remote mountains of Rabaul after teenager Willie Flinn reported a wreck he had found while trekking in 2022.
After years of planning and several false starts, the team reached the wreck in October 2023. Within half an hour they recovered a modification plate that confirmed the aircraft as Beaufort A9‑211.
The discovery is expected to bring closure to families and help the Air Force complete its historical record.
Emotional impact on the family
Robert Burrowes says the news brought a flood of emotions. “They call it closure, but I’m not sure that’s quite the right word,” he reflected, wiping tears as he sat among family photos.
He described the crash as a nosedive that ended in fire, a terrifying final moment that is hard to imagine.
Robert also noted the sorrow that his father, Jim, missed the chance to learn the truth by only a year.
Further forensic work
Danielle Baker, granddaughter of navigator Arthur Davies who also perished in the crash, says the find offers peace of mind that the plane struck the mountain in terrible weather and likely broke up quickly.
Small bone fragments recovered at the site will undergo forensic testing; Baker hopes they may belong to her grandfather.
If identified, she said she would like to bring a remnant home for burial alongside his wife and daughter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What role did Tom Burrowes serve in during World War II?
He served as a wireless air gunner in the Royal Australian Air Force, flying on a Beaufort bomber during a bombing mission over Rabaul.
When did the mission that led to the missing aircraft take place?
The mission launched around 10 pm on 14 December 1943 and involved nine No. 100 Squadron aircraft.
How was the wreck of Beaufort A9‑211 finally identified?
An expedition team recovered a modification plate on the wreck in October 2023, confirming the aircraft as Beaufort A9‑211.
What thoughts does this discovery spark for you about the lasting impacts of wartime losses?
