On Jan 11th I am traveling to Timor to look for the wreck of the plane that went down with my uncle Jack Daggett (see details below). Records indicate they were on a strafing run along the nth coast of Timor and hit wires strung up by the Japanese across the steep cliffs. of Manatuto Bay.
However the topographical maps of this bay don't show this steep terrain.
Any help or clues in where I go next would be appreciated.
John Tate
B-25D-30 Mitchell Serial Number A47-3
RAAF
2 Squadron
Pilot F/O Allen Wallace Slater, 414849 (MIA / KIA) Indooroopilly, QLD
Crew F/O Murray Scott Millett, 426641 (MIA / KIA) Lismore, NSW
Crew F/O John Francis Daggett, 434341 (MIA / KIA) Lubeck, VIC
Crew F/O Bernard Alwin Wisniewski, 423966 (MIA / KIA) Coogee, NSW
Crew F/Sgt Keith Rutherford Philipson, 429669 (MIA / KIA) Leeton, NSW
Crew Sgt Desmond Frederick Harberger, 435448 (MIA / KIA) Dalby, QLD
MIA September 22, 1944
Looking for A47-3 lost in Timor 1944
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richard rudd
- 1st Lieutenant
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 2:08 am
Re: Looking for A47-3 lost in Timor 1944
John.... cant help you re Manatuto...but Google Earth will give you a good? look at the coastline and ? cliffs.
While you are there...might you visit the old Dili airfield.?..you can see it on GE. much closer to town than the new one on the coast. When I was thru there in an Auster in 1970 ..there was a hangar at the southern end of the tarmac that was full of Austers belonging to TAT, the Portuguese airline. When the Indos invaded maybe they burnt the lot..but I often wondered what happened to all those aircraft. One of TAT's DH Herons is in the NT Aviation Heritage Centre..the pilot gathered up his family and bolted in '75
There are/were many WW2 crash sites/ wrecks in Timor, both east and west. I guess in the hinterland the locals would know...and anything well away from roads may not yet be scrapped.
Good luck and happy hunting.!
regards RR
While you are there...might you visit the old Dili airfield.?..you can see it on GE. much closer to town than the new one on the coast. When I was thru there in an Auster in 1970 ..there was a hangar at the southern end of the tarmac that was full of Austers belonging to TAT, the Portuguese airline. When the Indos invaded maybe they burnt the lot..but I often wondered what happened to all those aircraft. One of TAT's DH Herons is in the NT Aviation Heritage Centre..the pilot gathered up his family and bolted in '75
There are/were many WW2 crash sites/ wrecks in Timor, both east and west. I guess in the hinterland the locals would know...and anything well away from roads may not yet be scrapped.
Good luck and happy hunting.!
regards RR