10 February 1943 - Crash of a C-47 Dakota possibly in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland

10 FEBRUARY 1943
CRASH OF A C-47 DAKOTA
POSSIBLY IN GULF OF CARPENTARIA, QLD
IN AUSTRALIA DURING WWII

MACR 15757 indicated that C-47, radio call sign VFCHA (See Note 1 below), of the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group, Fifth Air Force went missing on 10 February 1943 on a flight from Fenton Airfield in the Northern Territory to Iron Range Airfield on the Cape York Peninsula in far north Queensland.

The crew were as follows:-

Flight Officer Howard R. Hailes, T-185498, Pilot
2nd Lieutenant John A. Richardson, Jr., O-790590
Sergeant Kenneth P. Stratmann, 32329981
Corporal Arlie J. Carmichael, 35430495

Exactly one year after the disappearance of the aircraft, a "Review and Determination Under Section 5, Public Law 490, 7 March 1940 as Amended" stated that the above named personnel were reported missing in a message from Brisbane, Casualty Branch No. 071041, dated 11 March 1943. That message stated that they were members of the 40th Troop Carrier Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group and that they became missing on 10 February 1943, in the course of a routine flight between Fenton and Iron Range.

It referred to a report by the Assistant Intelligence Officer dated 25 February 1943 which stated:-

"... on 10 February 1943, at 0730 hours, plane VHCFA (not VFCHA as per the MACR) took off from Fenton for Iron Range. .... At the time of their departure the plane was empty, having just completed a 50-hour inspection the day before. This crew had made two previous round trips between Iron Range and Fenton and was returning to Iron Range for a third load."

"On the same date, 10 February 1943, another plane took off from Fenton for Iron Range at 0845 hours, operated by Flight Officer Arnold and Lieutenant Farish. They followed approximately the same course as that which Flight Officer Hailes and Lieutenant Richardson had taken on their previous flight."

"On the easterly coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, Arnold and Farish ran into a storm which covered an area approximately ten miles in both directions from the coast line. As a result they lost about 2,000 feet of altitude. It was explained in the report that Arnold and Farish were accustomed to fly at an altitude of 9,000 to 13,000 feet, endeavoring to fly over bad weather. Hailes and Richardson on the other hand were known to fly low habitually, never over 4,000 feet, because they had been advised that it was best to fly under bad weather."

During their trip, neither Arnold nor Farish saw anything of the Hailes-Richardson plane. They reached Iron Range in due course and found that the earlier plane had not yet arrived. They remained at Iron Range one hour and 15 minutes, at the end of which time the Hailes-Richardson plane had still not arrived. On the same date Hailes and Farish returned to Fenton, where they reported the non-arrival of Hailes and Richardson at Iron Range. They remained at Fenton from 11 to 13 February, inclusive, while their plane was undergoing repairs."

"In the period 14 February to 23 February, inclusive, Arnold and Farish made six round trips between Fenton and Iron Range. They made whatever observations were possible en route, but saw no indication of the Hailes-Richardson plane. Due to cloudy weather conditions, however, there was little that they could observe. On or about 16 February 1943, two searching missions were sent out from Fenton. It is stated that the search involved flight over all the emergency strips and islands from Fenton to the southwest coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria, and that the searchers also checked with various native villages, but that no trace of the Hailes-Richardson plane was found. A searching party was also sent out from Iron Range without result."

"The Unit headquarters summarised the situation as follows:-

"This department knows of no information which might clear up or change the status of the missing men. They may have been forced down in the bay or on land. No traces have been found. The cause might be engine failure, which is not likely, or weather, which is very likely, or Jap plane could have shot them down."

"The Likely-hood of being still alive would be merely a guess on anyone's part."

The "Review and Determination Under Section 5, Public Law 490, 7 March 1940 as Amended" recommended that:- "Findings of death under the provisions of Section 5, Public Law 490, 7 March 1942, as amended, be made in the case of each of the officers and enlisted men named in paragraph 1, Part I, above and that these findings show 10 February 1944 as the presumed date of death."

NOTES:-

1. Robert H. Kelly indicates on page 284 in his book "Allied Air Transport Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII Volume Two - 1943 Year of expansion and consolidation" that this aircraft was C-47-DL, VH-CFA, #41-18560 (not VFCHA as per the MACR). However it would appear that VHCFA was actually Douglas C-47-DL #41-18682 (not #41-18560). The radio call sign shown on the MACR is strange as it starts with VF and not the usual VH. Therefore there is some uncertainty about the correctness of VFCHA and we do not know the aircraft Serial No.

2. Peter Nielsen's book "Diary of WWII - North Queensland" describes a USAAF Douglas C-47 Dakota which failed to arrive at Iron Range on a flight from New Guinea on 10 February 1943. Presumably this is the same aircraft and the destination of New Guinea was in error.

3. The list of "Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia" refers to a USAAF C-47 Dakota which failed to arrive at Iron Range after departing Fenton in Northern Territory on 10 Feb 1943.

SOURCE:- Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia

Crash: No. 27

Position: 12.48 - 143.18

Department of Aviation Chart No: 3112

REFERENCE BOOK

"Diary of WWII - North Queensland"
Complied by Peter Nielsen

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett for his assistance with this web page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

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