| B-24 "Ten
Knights in a Bar Room"
I got some photos of a B24 wreck in
the Sepik; near Angoram. This plane B-24D
42-72806 was lost on a raid over Wewak on Dec 1 1943. It was
called "Ten Knights in a Barroom". It was shot up by
a Tony, caught on fire and exploded in mid air. It was found once
after the war in 1971, when the crew were recovered [most of them];
and has been undisturbed since that time. The tail came apart
from the main body and has survived quite well as can be seen
from the photos. The rest is scrap metal.
Submerged Japanese Wreck?
We went looking along the nearby river
channels and got a photo of a man in the swamp is supposed to
be standing on top of a small complete Japanese plane. I have
to wait for the dry season to come to confirm this story. Wandered
around Boram airport [Wewak] where the local lads pulled some
aircraft bits out of a bomb crater for me to snap.
B-24 42-40475
I'm attaching photos of the B-24
42-40475 that crashed on the North Coast of Oro; that I first
got details [dog tag details and approximate location] about two
years ago. This is the plane which two relatives have been emailing
me about. Its cost me K800 [$US 200] to get these photos. You
can see that its very disintegrated. The 11 crew are still onboard.
I will pass the details onto CILHI, and the relatives as well.
I also showed the photos to Brian Bennett this afternoon. This
plane went missing between Kavieng and Dobuduru on 3 Dec 1943.
It was sent out on a solo night raid . Last heard from at 0035hrs
when they radioed "why aren't the lights on". CILHI
went looking for it last year; but couldn't find it.
B-25 41-12792
This is a interesting wreck that I have also been looking for
for some time It was lost on 26 July 1942; one of a number lost
that day. I was looking about 50 miles away from where its located.
the plane disintegrated at low altitude and the pilot and one
gunner survived, blown clear.The pilot buried three of his crew
at the wreck site. The gunner is still missing. [I think that
they are still there] I was in dialogue with W McCollum.[as a
result of PWD Discussion
Page; about this wreck] a nephew of the missing gunner two
or three years ago, but I cant find him electronically now to
give him the news. I will also pass this report on to CILHI.
Em Tasol
John Douglas
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