Aircraft wreckage abandoned at Tadji Airfield

RAAF Dump Area
The area between the fighter strip (crash strip) and bomber strip was a bone yard area for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 12 Repair Salvage Unit (12 RSU). Many airframes were abandoned at this location in two dump areas.

The first group are in a row:

Beaufort Serial Number A9-689

Beaufort Serial Number A9-559 Tail QH-F

Beaufort Serial Number A9-637 Tail KT-B

The second group in a rough circle:

Beaufort Serial Number A9-414 Tail UV-Q

Beaufort Serial Number A9-210 Tail QH-D

Beaufort Serial Number A9-535

Other Wrecks at Tadji included:

Beaufort Mark VIII Serial Number A9-277

F-5B Lightning 42-67383
Pilot Clark crashed April 30, 1944 collided with a P-40N A29-405 and crashed into a swamp

B-17F "Harry the Horse" Serial Number 41-24548
Pilot Kennedy force landed May 4, 1944 at Tadji afterwards stripped for parts and abandoned today wings only

C-47 Skytrain
Stripped for parts, pieces only

Beaufort
Stripped for parts, fuselage only

Anson
Steel tube frames rusting into the ground, thanks to Charles Darby for this information

UC-43
Steel tube frames rusting into the ground, thanks to Charles Darby for this information

P-40N Warhawk pilot 1st Lt. Joseph W. Todd
Crashed June 7, 1944 engine failure after take off

P-40N Warhawk Serial A29-1210 | A29-1462
Pilot Madigan midair collision with P-40N Kittyhawk A29-527 crashed November 15, 1945

P-40N Warhawk Serial A29-527
Pilot Madigan midair collision with P-40N Kittyhawk A29-1210 | A29-1462 crashed November 15 1945

Aircraft salvaged from Tadji Airfield
Since the war, a number of aircraft wrecks have been salvaged or removed from Tadji Airfield.

P-39N "San Antonio Rose" Serial Number 42-19039
Salvaged 1967, transported to Goroka and displayed. During the 1980s n displayed at the J. K. McCarthy Museum

B-25C "Feather Merchant" Serial Number 41-12442
Salvaged 1974, transported to Aitape High School as a memorial

P-40N Warhawk Serial Number A29-448 | A29-1050
Pilot Giles force landed May 4, 1944. Salvaged 1974, restored by Pacific Aircraft Ltd. / Pioneer Aero Restorations to flying condition

P-40N "Little Jeanne" Serial Number 42-105915
Salvaged 1974, restored by Precision Aerospace to flying condition,

P-40N Warhawk Serial Number A29-405 Code HU-S
Damaged April 30, 1944 by F-5B Lightning 42-67383 collison while parked. Salvaged 1974, today owned by Graham Orphan in NZ

P-40N Warhawk Serial Number 42-105951
Salvaged 1974, wings in storage in New Zeland and the fuselage in California

P-39N Airacobra Serial Number 42-8740
Salvaged 1974, restored to static display at Yanks Air Museum

P-39N Airacobra Serial Number 42-18814
Salvaged 1974, stored in California

P-39N "Little Sir Echo / Small Fry" Serial Number 42-19027
Salvaged 1974, restored to static condition and displayed at Planes of Fame Musuem

P-39Q Airacobra Serial Number 42-19991
Salvaged 1974, stored in California

P-39Q "Brooklyn Bum 2nd" Serial Number 42-19993
Salvaged 1974, restored to static, re-restored to flying condition during 2004, today owned by The Fighter Collection

P-39Q "Snooks 2nd" Serial Number 42-19995
Salvaged 1974, restored to stadic display, since 1980 displayed at Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Servicemen's Park

P-39Q Airacobra Serial Number 42-20339
Salvaged 1974, whereabouts today unknown

Beaufort Serial Number A9-557 Tail Code QH-L
Salvaged 1974 from Tadji to Australia, restored to static at AWM

Beaufort Serial Number A9-13 Tail Code FX-B
Salvaged 1974 from Tadji to Australia, displayed at Army Flying Museum

A-20G Havoc Serial Number 43-21627
Salvaged 1974, under restoration at PIMA

P-40N "Come in Suckers" Serial Number A29-414
Pilot Harvey force landed April 25, 1944 salvaged 2001 by Robert Greinert / HARS sold to Pioneer Aero / Vintage Wings of Canada