Catalina WW11 Flying Boat Wrecks

During the bombing of Broome by the Japanese on 3 March 1942, fifteen flying-boats were sunk. The boats comprised five Dorniers, four Catalinas of the Royal Netherlands Navy, two RAF Catalinas, two US Navy Catalinas, and two Short Empire aircraft, one operated by the RAAF and one by Qantas. The boats were ferrying Dutch national refugees from Indonesia south to Perth. They had stopped in Broome overnight to refuel and were loaded waiting take-off when attacked. Between 70 and 100 Dutch refugees died when the boats were sunk. They were buried in a mass grave beside the Pioneer Cemetery and after the war were disinterred for burial elsewhere. The remains of the flying-boats can only be seen a few times a year on particularly low tides.