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| Lutheran Mission |
Aircraft History Built by Junkers, serial number J2074. Sold to Personal Flying Services and registered in the United Kingdom as G-ABDC in July 1930. In April 1933 sold to Brooklands Airways. In December 1934 sold to Neuendettelsauer Missions Gesellschaft and registered in Sweden as SE-AEC. Next, sold to the Lutheran Mission and disassembled for shipment to the Territory of New Guinea. On March 7, 1935 registered in Australia as VH-UTS. Nicknamed "Papua". This aircraft had a natural metal finish with VH-UTS painted in large black block letters on both sides of the fuselage. The nose was painted black with "Papua" in white lettering. This Junkers F 13 operated in New Guinea flying cargo and passengers to Lutheran mission station airfields. Sometime between March 1935 September 1939, this aircraft suffered a landing accident at a New Guinea airfield that damaged the left landing gear. Afterwards, repaired and returned to flying status. Wartime History During August 1939 took off from Malahang Airfield near Lae piloted by Werner Garms and Paul Raabe on a flight bound for Mount Hagen Airfield for a delivery to the Lutheran mission station at Ogelgeng. While on the ground, they accepted mail from Patrol Officer (kiap) Leigh Vial based at Mount Hagen and possibly letters from others. Both pilots were German nationals and after learning learning of the start of World War II in Europe on September 1, 1939 they decided to steal this plane and return to Germany. Departing Mount Hagen Airfield they flew southeast landing at Kiapit Airfield and refueled using fuel stocks owned by the Lutheran mission. On September 5, 1939 this aircraft was observed near Lae before landing at Edie Creek Airfield near the Wau-Bulolo gold fields where they delivered the air mail letter from Leigh Vial and refueled again to top off their tanks. The plane took off from Edie Creek Airfield and flew to the southwest over the Territory of Papua before landing at Merauke Airfield in Dutch New Guinea (Papua Province). After landing, they abandoned the plane near the runway. The ultimate fate of this F.13 is unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. Fates of the Crew After landing at Merauke, Garms and Raabe made their across Dutch New Guinea then traveled aboard a steamer to Japan then traveled to the Far East of the Soviet Union and boarded the Trans Siberian Railway from the Far East westward back to Germany where both enlisted in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Werner Garms became an officer with the rank of Oberleutnant. On March 1, 1942 Garms was a crew member aboard Ju 88 A-4 (9K+DS) assigned to 10./KG 51 went Missing In Action (MIA) on a mission over the Crimea area. Paul Raabe has an unknown military history. Possibly he was an enlisted man in the Luftwaffe or another branch of the military. He is not listed in Luftwaffe Officer’s Career Summary. References Junkers F13 Serial Numbers Wings of Gold - How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea page 222 Luftwaffe Officer’s Career Summary / Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries Section G-K [PDF page 21] GARMS, Werner. (n.d.) had flown commercially in Papua New Guinea. 01.03.42 Oblt., 10./KG 51 KIA - Ju 88 A-4 (9K+DS) lost under unknown circumstances in Russia - had taken off from Nikolayev." Papua New Guinea Postal Stamp 30 toea "Mission Aviation, Lutheran 1935 depicts F 13 SE-AEC in flight Thanks to John Douglas, International Historical Research Associates and Robert Piper for additional information Contribute
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 F.13  Photo Archive  Map 9-39 |
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