My main effort at the moment is exploring the forests
around Port Moresby. The area back towards Kokoda from Port Moresby
seems to have been a killing ground for planes. It was the main route
for planes travelling between Port Moresby and points north, including
Kokoda, Buna, Lae and Rabaul. Add in a mountain pass, regular bad
weather, combat and occasionally inexperienced pilots, and you get
a lot of mishaps. Much of this area is steep, forested and little
used except by occasional hunters. So, there are wrecks to be found.
CILHI have been working
on a couple with remains, but a lot more need to be located and checked
out. For the moment we've been working in one valley that seems to
have gathered up P-39s. located four, all aparently lost in May 1942, when
matters were very evenly balanced between the opposing forces. These
P-39s are all D or F models, not reported to the outside world before,
and come from the 35the Fighter Squadron and 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group, 5th Air Force. No remains obvious. I've
got a camera travelling in the lower Sepic river [Another good location
for wrecks]as well. I attach a few photos for your gratification.
DAP Beaufort Mark VIII Serial
Number A9-518
Pilot Chapman MIA March 25, 1945
P-39F Airacobra Serial Number 41-7191
Pilot Chapman MIA May 18, 1942
P-39Q Airacobra Serial Number 42-19939
Abandoned or crashed in Oro Province
