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| ML-KNIL |
Pilot 1e Luitenant Vlieger Hermanus Jan Hendrik Daanen (KIA, BR) Co-Pilot Sgt Major Willem Adrianus Torn, 96774 (KIA, BR) Radio Sgt Eugene Kerdijk, 71322 (KIA, BR) Engineer Sgt Jacques Francois Damwijk, 96914 (KIA, BR) Crashed September 7, 1944 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 12880. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-47A-20-DK Skytrain serial number 42-93015. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Purchased by the Netherlands for the Militaire Luchtvaart (ML-KNIL) Army Aviation Corps of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army for use in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) as C-47A Dakota serial number DT-941. Australian call sign VH-RDK. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On September 7, 1944 took off from Merauke Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Hermanus J. H. Daanen with a Dutch crew plus twenty passengers including pilots from No. 120 Squadron plus other Australian and dutch personnel aboard on a flight bound for Cairns Airfield and went missing. In fact, it crashed killing everyone aboard near Mossman. Search When this aircraft failed to arrive when scheduled at 6:45pm, 3 Flight Sector Headquarters in Townsville began to inquire about this aircraft by inquiring at radar stations to the north of Cairns. Aeroradio advised an aircraft was heard calling Cairns Airfield. Afterwards, All Volunteer Air Observer Corps (VAOC) was advised to be on the lookout for this C-47. Afterwards, two RAAF Avro Ansons took off on a search for the missing aircraft without any results. Wreckage During January 1989 the crash site of this Dakota was located. Recovery of Remains After the crash site was found, the remains of the crew were recovered and transported to Cairns for permenant burial. Memorials The entire crew were killed on the day of the mission. The crew is buried at Cairns War Cemetery in collective grave at plot A, row E, grave 1 (Coll.). Relatives Robert L. Willett (nephew of Browne) References USAF Serial Number Search Results -C-47A-20-DK Skytrain 42-93015 "93015 (MSN 12880) to NEIAF as DT-941, callsign VH-RDK" CWGC - Hermanus Jan Hendrik Daanen CWGC - Willem Adrianus Torn CWGC - Eugene Kerdijk CWGC - Jacques Francois Damwijk Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia crash No. 112 (Department of Aviation Chart No: 3219) Oz@War - 7 September 1944 Crash of a C-47 Dakota near Mossman Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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