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Guinea Airways Ltd. Air Road to Gold c1930 |
Pilot Les J. Trist (died, BR) Deniliquin, NSW Crashed May 22, 1931 Aircraft History Built by AB Flygindustri at Linhamm, Malmö, Sweden license built for Junkers as W34d serial number J2611. Purchased by Guinea Airways Ltd. without an engine. On December 31, 1929 issued a Swedish Certificate of Authority (CofA) for overseas export. Disassembled and loaded as cargo aboard SS Mosel at Hamburg with Junkers W33d J2575 accompanied by Junkers test pilot Walter Rothe and shipped to Melbourne and unloaded February 7, 1930. Placed aboard on another vessel and shipped to Lae arriving March 7, 1930 and was unloaded and reassembled with a Bristol Jupiter VI engine already owned by Guinea Airways Ltd and mounted without an engine cowling. On March 31, 1930 issued a Certificate of Registration (CoR) number 366. Registered to Guinea Airways Ltd. in Australia as VH-UNR. On June 1, 1930 issued a Certificate of Authority (CofA) to transport freight. The nose was painted black while the rest of the plane had natural aluminum finish with "Junkers W34d" in a cursive font in black on the tail. The fuselage had registration VH-UNR in large black block letters. The upper wingtips were painted black and the lower wing was painted black with registration VH-UNR in large white block letters. Tail number 4 was painted on the rudder. This plane was also known as "Junkers No. 4". On August 2, 1930 took off from Lae Airfield piloted by E. F. Selk on a flight bound for Wau Airfield and force landed in a swamp near Snake Valley. During the crash, the landing gear was torn off. By October 1930 the damage was repaired. Om May 1, 1931 a new Certificate of Authority (CofA) was issued. Mission History On May 22, 1931 at 8:50am took off from Lae Airfield piloted by Les J. Trist loaded with 1,831 pounds of cargo bound for Bulolo Airfield for Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. When this plane failed to arrive, it was reported as missing. This was the first missing plane and fatal crash in the Territory of New Guinea. Search That same day, fifteen minutes later another plane piloted by Wiltshire took off from Lae Airfield flying the same route over Bulolo then on to Wau and Salamaua. When he returned, he reported not seeing Trist or his plane during his flight. Later that afternoon, aircraft flew search missions for the missing plane without result. By nightfall, the plane was not reported at any airfield or emergency airfield. On May 23, 1931 all available planes including the three G31 trimotors again took off from Lae Airfield and performed an aerial search without result. Meanwhile, the District Officer at Salamaua was informed of the loss and immediately organized a ground party to be dispatched if the plane was spotted from the air. In the afternoon, aircraft expanded their search to the banks of the Markham River and flats near the Wattut River and Bulolo River. Several sightings were made but proved to be false alarms caused by natural features or isolated fires from locals clearing land. On May 23, 1931 dawned with bad weather, low visibility and high winds that made flying impossible until around 7:00am when searching resumed from Lae Airfield with two Moths flying up the Wattut River and a W34 with four aboard to visually search the Upper Wattu River. The planes returning to land just before bad weather resumed. After a week of aerial searching every possible location, no sign of the aircraft or pilot was found and the prospect of finding Trist alive dwindled. No ground search was mounted as no site was observed to investigate. On May 26, 1931 four parties of Police Boys (local Police) were sent out into the bush to inquire village to village along specific routes in hopes of finding the fate of the plane or pilot. In early June 1931, a report was received that locals found the pilot's body, but this proved to be false when investigated by the District Officer at Salamaua. When the plane failed to be found, a baseless rumor circulated and was published by the press that Trist was killed and eaten by natives at Taiaka. Another rumor was that Trist force landed and then was killed by natives. This rumor elevated to the highest levels and required the Administrator of New Guinea, General Wisdom to brief Australian Prime Minister James Scullin. When the crash site was found and his remains recovered this was proven false. By the end of June, many rumors circulated about the plane and pilot being found, but all proved to be false. Wreckage This aircraft crashed into a hillside near the Wampit Gap, west of the Wampit Valley within five miles of Gurakor. On impact, the engine crushed into the fuselage, both wings and landing gear were ripped off by trees and the tail broke away from the fuselage. Pilot Trist was killed on impact. The crash site was first discovered by locals who reported it to the Australian authorities. As a reward for finding the plane wreck, Feldt paid the locals £10. On August 13, 1931 the crash site was investigated by a ground party that included Guinea Airways Ltd. manager Alan Cross and District Officer Eric Feldt. The plane was a completely destroyed with the engine crushed into the cargo compartment, both wings torn off and the tail broken away from the fuselage. The pilot's body was crushed almost beyond recognition. The plane was determined to have been flying in cloud and crashed into the terrain. The crash was violent enough that nothing was salvaged from the wreckage. Afterwards, a full report was sent to Guinea Airways Ltd. in Adelaide and details communicated to the pilot's brother. On September 30, 1931 a message was sent from the Government Secretary at Rabaul to the Prime Minister's Department in Australia reporting that the plane and body of the pilot were found. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the pilot were transported to Lae then loaded aboard MV Macdhul and shipped to Sydney then transfered to the Kinsela mortuary near Darlinghurst. Memorials Trist was declared dead the day of the mission. On September 19, 1931 at 2:45pm a funeral service was conducted by Reverend P. R. Westley at after a funeral service, Trist was buried at Waverley Cemetery in Bronte, NSW at W-14-CE-SP-7651B. During the graveside service, a plane flew overhead and dipped its wing in a salute as a tribute to him. The Pallbearers were six Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) non-commissioned officers from 101 Flight. In attendance were his parents, relatives and friends. Lake Trist, an inland lake southeast of Wau was discovered by Trist while doing aerial exploration and named after him. References Some sources incorrectly listed the plane's destination as Wau Airfield. NAA "Record Office R.A.A.F. Trist, Leslie Joseph, 106" (NAA: A9301, 106) NAA Civil aircraft accident and incident register for Australia and Papua New Guinea - 1928 to 1945, Section 1, Accidents 1931–1945 (NAA: A8324, 1) PDF page 6 (VH-UNR) "Trist, L. J. / 22.5.31 / New Guinea departure Lae for Wau / Commercial / VH-UNR W.34 Junkers (Owner Guinea Airways) / Trist / Apparently flown into mountain in cloud. Machine & engine totally wrecked." The Brisbane Courier "Missing Aviator: Fate of Pilot L. J. Trist" June 24, 1931 p 3 Maryborough Chonicle "Pilot Trist" June 25, 1931 p 4 The Sydney Morning Herald "Little Hope of Finding Pilot Trist" June 26, 1931 p 7 The Brisbane Courier "Trist's Fate: Mystery Unsolved Groundless Reports" July 13, 1931 p 9 Singleton Argus "Pilot L. J. Trist: Murder by Natives Denied" July 13, 1931 p 2 The Sydney Morning Herald "Pilot L. J. Trist: Murder by Natives Denied" July 13, 1931 p 9 The Uralla Times "Not Killed and Eaten: Airman L. J. Trist False Report" July 13, 1931 p 4 Tweed Daily "Trist's Fate Unsolved Groundless Reports" July 14, 1931 p 3 Rabaul Times article about Trist's fate rumors July 10, 1931 The Toowoomba Chronicle "Pilot L. J. Trist Reported Death in Papua Denied by Administrator" July 13, 1931 p 10 The Sun "Airman Trist's Fate" July 20, 1931 p 7 The Toowoomba Chronicle "Pilot L. J. Trist Body Found in Jungle in Moutain Gorge" August 13, 1931 p 7 The Sydney Morning Herald "Lost Pilot: A New Guinea Tragedy" August 22, 1931 p 9 The Sydney Morning Herald "Late Pilot Trist" August 22, 1931 p 14 Advertiser and Register "How Pilot Trist was Killed" August 22, 1931 p 15 Riverina Recorder "Pilot Trist's Death" August 22, 1931 p 2 The Telepgraph "Pilot Trist Death Instantaneous" August 22, 1931 p 4 The Macleay Chronicle "Air Pilot Trist" August 26, 1931 p 4 The Sydney Morning Herald "Late Pilot Trist" September 18, 1931 p 3 The Sydney Morning Herald "Pilot Trist" September 21, 1931 p 6 The Sydney Morning Herald "Trist's Body Found With Wrecked Plane" September 30, 1931 p 8 Northern Times "The Death of Pilot Trist" October 8, 1931 p 3 FindAGrave - Leslie Joseph Trist (grave photo) Air Road to Gold (1933) includes footage of W34 VH-UNR plane being unloaded at Lae Airfield Australian Junkers Pre-War Types by Geoff Goodall (VH-UNR) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated September 13, 2025 |
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