Wreckage
This aircraft crashed near Harinai on Bougainville Island. Reportedly, this aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.
Josh McDade reports:
We were directed to
a small local plantation within walking distance of the
school.
Trudging
through
this we were impressed upon finding aircraft wreckage,
mainly the chassis and an engine. A real find of the
exploration kind. The story goes that the anti-aircraft
gun in Harinai shot down this plane.
The Japanese came and located the wreckage
and pilot. The pilot was Australian and found alive.
The Japanese cut off his head and buried the body near
what is now the school. The local story continues with
the family coming to the area and exhuming the body.
Unfortunately we could not obtain a definite year or
even decade of this. Time in Bougainville is not quite
the same as western time. A short walk could be 10 kilometers
that takes six hours through jungle!
The wreckage of course has probably been
moved many times due to the plantation crop rotation.
More obvious damage has occurred to the wreck because
of these moves. It appears to have hinged wings and tie
down points.
We all were unable to define what type
of aircraft it was. The very damaged engine block seemed
to be a dual V piston type. The following serials were
found on different parts of the craft. A story goes that
this area during the 'Crisis' was salvaged for weapon
parts and ammunition. The following co-ordinates were supplied
by Capt Thomson of the Australian Army. GPS QT 6911 5722."
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Last Updated
February 7, 2023
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