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Pilot 1st Lt Ray Vandiver, O-413540 (survived) Wasco County, OR Co-Pilot 1st Lt Melvin C. Lewis (survived) Crew Chief Sgt Milford W. Lambert (survived) Radio Pfc Melvin C. Scharp (survived) Passenger David Campbell, Postmaster-General's Department (survived) Passenger Jack Lyons, Postmaster-General's Department (survived) Force Landed February 26, 1942 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Douglas in Santa Monica. Constructors Number 4836. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-53-DO Skytrooper serial number 41-20066. Assigned to Air Transport Command (ATC) with tail code 62-TG-66. No known nickname or nose art. Ferried overseas to Australia and assigned call sign VH-CDW. Wartime History On February 26, 1942 took off from Perth piloted by 1st Lt Ray Vandiver, co-pilot 1st Lt Melvin C. Lewis, crew chief Sgt Milford W. Lambert and radio operator Pfc Melvin C. Scharp on a flight bound for Broome Airfield then onward to Darwin. Aboard were two Australian passengers: David Campbell and Jack Lyons both telegraphists for the Postmaster-General's Department (PMG) in Western Australia and members of the Australian Army Reserve who were aboard to join an Australian Army signals unit in Darwin. In the darkness, the pilots flew another 400 miles before force landing wheels up in the only clear area they spotted near Vansittart Bay about six miles southwest of Truscott. When this aircraft failed to arrive it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA) until the crash site was spotted. Fates of the Crew The entire crew survived the crash unhurt. Afterwards, they waited at the crash site for several days awaiting rescue and used metal pipes from the wreckage to distill drinking water from the salt water in the area. Search After being declared missing, Allied aircraft including Hudson A16-119 searched for the missing plane and spotted the crash and crew. Rescue On March 1, 1942 the entire crew were rescued by S.23 "Corinthian" Empire Flying Boat G-AEUF. Wreckage After the crash landing, some parts were salvaged. Postwar, the cargo door was salvaged by MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA). The rest of the aircraft remains in situ at the crash site. Memorials Lambert passed away on October 19, 1974 due to a apartment house fire. He is buried at Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina, KS at plot block 10, lot 44, space 1. Vandiver remained in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and retired with the rank of Colonel. He passed away on September 18, 2002 at age 86. He is buried at Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem, OR. Scharp passed away on May 23, 2006. He is buried at Kaysville City Cemetery in Kaysville, UT. References Other sources state this plane was assigned to the 374th Troop Carrier Group, 21st Troop Carrier Squadron and took off from Perth on a flight bound for Darwin. Other sources list the pilot's surname as Van Diver (two words). NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Ray Vandiver NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Milford W. Lambert year of birth listed as 55 [sic] NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Melvin C. Scharp USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-53-DO 41-20066 "20066 (MSN 4836) to RAAF as VH-CDW. Crashed Feb 26, 1942, Vansittart Bay, 150 mi NW of Wyndham, WA. Found at Truscott Field, WA Jun 1978 in good condition." Allied Air Transport Operations SWPA in WWII - Volume One (2000) page 345 ADF Serials - C-53 41-20066 (photo) Aviation-Safety.net - C-53 41-20066 FindAGrave - Milford W. Lambert (grave photo) FindAGrave - Ray Vandiver (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Melvin Conrad Scharp (photos) Oz@War "Crash of C-53-DO Douglas On a Beach near Cape Londonserry, Vansittary Bay 400 miles north of Broome on 26 February 1942" (photos) Oz@War "History of the Directorate of Air Transport Allied Air Force South West Pacific Area and the 322nd troop Carrier Wing" "The 5 C-53s assigned were part of Project X originally intended for the Philippines: 41-20051 msn 4821, 41-20053 msn 4823, 41-20054 msn 4824, 41-20066 msn 4836 and 41-20070 msn 4840. The B-18s were probably 36-343 msn 1731 and 37-16 msn ????. The C-39 is unidentified as it could have been any one of seven which escaped the Philippines at this time, but is likely to have been one of 38-505, 38-530 or 38-532." Thanks to Stan Gajda and Daniel Leahy for information 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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