Plane crash kept secret: Remembering the lives of four men lost at sea

A wreath was laid at the memorial overlooking the island at The Crags, west of Port Fairy, on Thursday, February 15, 2024.

The 1944 crash was a tightly kept secret, hidden in the war files, and the airmen were never given a burial service or recognised in any way until recently.

Family members were not formally notified of the men's death until nearly eight months later.

When the wreckage was discovered off the island, it prompted moves for a memorial which was officially unveiled nine years ago in front of about 50 relatives.

The bluestone memorial is a scale replica of the Avro Anson aircraft in which the men were flying.

Those onboard were Victorian pilot Flight Sergeant James Henry MacLellan, 26, South Australian instructor Flight Sergeant Dennis Leslie Baulderstone, 22, as well as two 19-year-olds - Queenslander Norman Thomas Kruck and Western Australian Brian Carter Ladyman.

Port Fairy RSL vice-president Mick Clifford said the wreckage lay in 12 metres of water on the west side of the island.

"There's not much left," he said.

"There's pieces of metal down there but they never found the bodies."

Mr Clifford said an inquiry was held about a week after the crash but they didn't publicise the findings.

"They probably don't know. Did they try and land on the island? Was there something wrong with the aircraft? Did they fly too low? Was it pilot error?" he said.

"This was a navigational training exercise and there were two or three aircraft involved.

"They were supposed to do a circuit from Mount Gambier to here and back."

Attempts were made to contact the aircraft at 8.30am that day but were unsuccessful, by 12.30pm the plane was considered overdue and the alarm raised.

At 1pm, a search was carried out along the flight path and at 2.30pm the wreckage was spotted off the island.

The following morning, a boat went out from Port Fairy and some of the larger parts of the wreckage were recovered but not the men.