|
 |
|
|
| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
| Chronology | Locations | Aircraft | Ships | Submit Info | How You Can Help | Donate |
|
| RAAF 38 Squadron Former Assignments 33 Squadron 3 AD  CILHI 2000  RAAF 2005 |
Pilot WOFF Arthur Jack Hunter, 411069 (MIA / KIA, BR) Lambton, NSW Co-Pilot WOFF Albert Clifford Hughes, 414566 (MIA / KIA, BR) Warialda, NSW WAG Flt Sgt Kenneth Robert Wiles, 27141 RAAF (MIA / KIA, BR) North Footscray, VIC WAG WOFF Eric Wilkinson, 405949 RAAF (MIA / KIA, BR) Silkstone, QLD Fitter FSGT Allan George Sawrey, 6188 RAAF (MIA / KIA, BR) Concord, NSW Orderly SGT Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore, 47042 (MIA / KIA, BR) Welland, SA Passenger WOFF Allan Campbell, 412376 (MIA / KIA, BR) Passenger LAC William Royce Dunderdale, 170241 (MIA / KIA, BR) Oxley, QLD Passenger FLGOFF Noel Royce Stibbard, 421110 (MIA / KIA, BR) Wollongong, NSW Passenger Sister Marie Eileen Craig, 501399 RAAF Nursing Service (MIA / KIA, BR) Drummoyne, NSW Passenger PTE Keith John Bowden, NX108177 AIF, 2/12 Bn (MIA / KIA, BR) Sans Souci, NSW Passenger PTE Laurie Anthony Coombe, SX25862 AIF, 2/4 Pioneer Bn (MIA / KIA, BR) Camden, SA Passenger TPR George Phillip Duffy, QX28187 AIF, 2/5 Commando Sqn (MIA / KIA, BR) Clayfield, QLD Passenger GNR Trevor John Eiszele, TX8234 AIF, 2/8 Field. Regt (MIA / KIA) Sandy Bay, TAS Passenger PTE Mervyn John Ford, NX78164 AIF, 2/31 Bn (MIA / KIA) Parramatta, NSW Passenger L/SGT Athur John Hyde, NX88349 AIF, 30 Works Coy (MIA / KIA) Croydon, NSW Passenger TPR Frederick Joseph Ireland, NX114117 AIF, 2/5 Commando Sqn (MIA / KIA) Maroyba, NSW Passenger LT Alun Morris Jones, QX4655 AIF (MIA / KIA) Clayfield, QLD Passenger PTE Arthur Trevor Jorgensen, QX60848 AIF (MIA / KIA) Toowoomba, QLD Passenger SPR James Francis MacDougall, NX204635 AIF, 5 Mech Eqpt. Co (MIA / KIA) Mayfield, NSW Passenger TPR Ronald Leslie Mathieson, QX60160 AIF, 2/5 Commando Sqn (MIA / KIA) Maryborough, QLD Passenger SPR Jonathan Matthews, NX128663 AIF, 9 Workshop and Park Coy (MIA / KIA) Orange, NSW Passenger PTE John McAlorum, QX54584 AIF (MIA / KIA) Passenger PTE Ian Scott McDowall, QX6044 AIF (MIA / KIA) Brisbane, QLD Passenger PTE Leonard Thomas Oakley, TX16004 AIF (MIA / KIA) Burnie, TAS Passenger PTE Ian Thomas Ray, NX203686 AIF (MIA / KIA) Canberra, ACT Passenger PTE Donald William Smith, NX92958 AIF (MIA / KIA) Milton, NSW Passenger PTE James Ivan Tindall, NX126131 AIF (MIA / KIA) Narooma, NSW Passenger CPL George John Welch, NX31956 AIF (MIA / KIA) Crashed September 18, 1945 Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 25999. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force as C-47B-DK Skytrain serial number 43-48738. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History On August 30, 1944 assigned to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Dakota A65-61. Reassembled by 3 Air Depot (3 AD). Assigned Australian call sign VH-CUT. On October 31, 1944 assigned to 33 Squadron. On December 28, 1944 assigned to No. 38 Squadron with fuselage code PK. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engine serial numbers 485888 and 485930. Mission History On September 18, 1945 took of from Wama Airfield on Morotai piloted by W/O Arthur Hunteron at 6:45am on a flight path that included landing at Merauke Airfield and Bamaga Airfield (Higgins Field) then finally to Garbutt Field near Townsville. This flight was a medical evacuation with hospital patients including ten RAAF passengers and nineteen Australian Army personnel with a total of twenty-nine aboard. Lt. Jones boarded the plane as an unmanifested passenger. When this Dakota failed to arrive it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Wreckage In fact, this C-47 crashed onto the Carstenz Ranges at an altitude of 14,200' in a ravine roughly 100' from the to of the mountain at roughly Lat 4° South, Long 137° 2' 30" East. The crash site is located near Wissel Lakes, northwest of the Grasberg mine operated by PT Freeport in present day Papua Province (Irian Jaya) in the center of western New Guinea. On April 19, 1967, a Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) pilot Mr. J. Reeder spotted this wreckage of this Dakota and observed the markings "PK-CUT" while flying between Sentani Airfield to Konono Airfield. At the time, it was incorrectly believe to be a Dutch crash. During October 1968, he spotted the wreckage again. On November 28, 1968 a Bell 206 jet ranger helicopter piloted by Harold Wysong chartered by Delong Corporation lumber survey team at Nabire investigated the crash and located human remains and identified the site as Australian. Recovery of Remains Between May 23, 2005 until June 6, 2005, a joint team from Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Searcher Team and Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) were flown to the crash site aboard UH-1H A2-489 as part of "Exercise Dakota Recovery". The mission, conducted in extreme climatic conditions, recovered all the remains as well as some personal effects of the passengers and crew. A memorial plaque was left at the site. The team included S/L Greg Williams. Memorial The entire crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. Jones was memorialized at Lae War Cemetery on the Lae Memorial, panel 5. On August 10, 2005 the remains of the crew were buried at Bomana War Cemetery. Hunter, Hughes, Blackmore, Craig, Ford, Eiszele, Ireland, Tindall, Ray, Smith, McAlorum, McDowall, Jorgensen, MacDougall, Mathieson and Stibbard in collective grave C8, B1-25. The remainder are buried individually. Wiles at C8. A. 17. Wilkinson at C8. A. 13. Sawrey at C8. B. 22. Campbell at C8. B. 3. Dunderdale at C8. B. 7. Jones at C8. E. 19. Welch at C8. A. 3. Oakley at C8. B. 20. Bowden at C8. B. 2. Coombe at C8. B. 4. Duffy at C8. B. 6. Hyde at C8. B. 12. Matthews at C8. B. 19. References CWGC - Arthur Jack Hunter CWGC - Albert Clifford Hughes CWGC - Kenneth Robert Wiles CWGC - Eric Wilkinson CWGC -Allan George Sawrey CWGC - Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore CWGC - Allan Campbell CWGC - William Royce Dunderdale CWGC - Noel Royce Stibbard CWGC - Marie Eileen Craig CWGC - Keith John Bowden CWGC - Laurie Anthony Coombe CWGC - George Phillip Duffy CWGC - Trevor John Eiszele CWGC - Mervyn John Ford CWGC - Athur John Hyde CWGC - Frederick Joseph Ireland CWGC - Alun Morris Jones "N.B. Also commemorated on Panel 5 of the Lae Memorial to be removed when the panel is next replaced" CWGC - Arthur Trevor Jorgensen CWGC - James Francis MacDougall CWGC - Ronald Leslie Mathieson CWGC - Jonathan Matthews CWGC - John McAlorum CWGC - Ian Scott McDowall CWGC - Leonard Thomas Oakley CWGC - Ian Thomas Ray CWGC - Donald William Smith CWGC - James Ivan Tindall CWGC - George John Welch Air Force - Australia: 75th Anniversary Edition by George Odgers includes photos of this wreck Australian Department of Defense "Dakota crew members laid to rest funeral service" August 11, 2005 ADF Serials - Dakota A65-61 Air Force News April 20, 2017 page 12 (photo) Thanks to Greg Williams and Daniel Leahy for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated January 2, 2022 |
 C-47  MIA 29 Missing Resolved |
| Discussion Forum | Daily Updates | Reviews | Museums | Interviews & Oral Histories |
|
