USAAC B-24A Liberator #40-2370 (03/03/1942)

About 10 miles off Broome

A Zero, piloted by Warrant Officer Osamu Kudo immediately shot down USAAF B-24A Liberator, "Arabian Nights", #40-2370, piloted by Kester just after it went over the beach after takeoff. It crashed into the sea about 10 miles from Broome (Map Reference 17.50 - 122.08), about 7 miles off Cable Beach. It was carrying 33 wounded from Java which included twenty USAAF personnel, 19 of whom did not survive the crash. Lt. William E. Ragsdale was the co-pilot of "Arabian Nights". They were on their way to Perth. Another source shows this B-24 as #74.

The aircraft broke in half. At least two personnel survived the initial crash. They were Staff Sergeant Melvin Donoho and Staff Sergeant Willard J. Beatty. They stayed together and swam towards the shore. They started swimming at about 10 am that day and were still together later the next afternoon. They somehow became separated and Donoho made it shore and struggled to the airfield where he was found naked, sunburnt and severely exhausted.

Staff Sergeant Beatty, in a very bad state, was found on the beach by a shore patrol. He was rushed to Perth but died. For some strange reason, his body cannot be accounted for.
(http://www.ozatwar.com/wa12.htm)