18 September 1945 - Crash of a C-47 Dakota between Biak and Horn Island

18 SEPTEMBER 1945
CRASH OF A C-47 DAKOTA
ON SIDE OF MOUNT CARSTENS,
IN THE NASSAU RANGE, WEST IRIAN
ON A FLIGHT BETWEEN BIAK AND HORN ISLAND

Photo:- via Bob Livingstone

A typical C-47 Dakota

At 6.00am on 18 September 1945, RAAF C-47 Dakota, A65-61, VH-CUT, of 38 Squadron RAAF, took off from Wama Airfield on Moratai in New Guinea. It arrived at Mokmer airfield on Biak Island at 10.30am. The Dakota then took off in clear weather at 11.15am enroute to Townsville via Horn Island. Normal procedure for aircraft departing from Biak was to radio in 15 minutes after take-off and then again when they had reached their cruising height. A65-61 did not make its first 15 minutes radio call and totally disappeared along with its 29 occupants. No trace was found during searches in New Guinea. It was thought that it would not have reached the Australian mainland.

The flight was a medical evacuation flight with five air crew, two medical staff, three RAAF passengers and nineteen Australian Army hospital patients.

Penny Stibbard told me that her uncle, Noel Royce Stibbard, was on this flight when it disappeared in Papua New Guinea. Penny told me that the aircraft wreckage was found in 1968.

On 16 October 1968, an American Missionary, Jerry Reeder, was flying his aircraft across the Nassau Range in West Irian at 14,500 feet when he saw a flash of light below him. He flew down lower to discover the wreckage of a large silvery aircraft on the side of Mount Carstens. In mid 1970, Jerry Reeder returned with two American timbermen from the D.E. Lowe Corporation in a Bell Ranger helicopter and landed near the wreckage.

They were able to determine that it was a WW2 Dakota military aircraft. The camouflage had faded from the metal fuselage but they were able to find the letters "CUT" in faint yellow letters on the tail of the wrecked aircraft. They found many scattered human bones and a half-burnt women's shoe near the wreckage.

The Dakota had hit the side of the valley with one of its wingtips which then slewed the aircraft into the 3,000 feet high mountain side. It then fell to the valley below and caught fire. Although in a valley, it was located at a spot 13,500 feet above sea level.

29 military personnel were killed in this crash:-

AIRCRAFT CREW
Warrant Officer Arthur Jack Hunter 411069 of Swansea, of 38 Squadron RAAF
Warrant Officer Albert Clifford Hughes 414566, 24 yrs of Warialda, of 38 Squadron RAAF
Warrant Officer Eric Wilkinson 405949, 33 yrs of Ipswich, Qld, of 38 Squadron RAAF
Flight Sergeant Keith Robert Wiles 27141, 24 yrs of Footscray, Vic, of 38 Squadron RAAF
Flight Sergeant Allan George Sawrey 6188, 22 yrs of Concord, of 38 Squadron RAAF

MEDICAL STAFF
Sergeant Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore 47042, 28 yrs, of 2 Medical Air Evacuation and Transport Unit
Sister Marie Eileen Craig 501399, RAAF Nursing Sister, 33 yrs of Drummoyne, of 2 Medical Air Evacuation and Transport Unit

RAAF PASSENGERS
Flying Officer Noel Royce Stibbard 42110, 24 yrs of Wollongong of 2 Medical Air Evacuation and Transport Unit
Warrant Officer Allan Campbell 412376, 27 yrs of Manning River of 38 Squadron RAAF
Leading Aircraftsman William Royce Dunderdale 170241, 19 yrs of Oxley, Qld of 38 Squadron RAAF

ARMY PASSENGERS
Lt Alun Morris Jones QX4655, of 11 Australian Movement Control Group **
Private Leonard Thomas Oakley TX16004, 21 yrs, of 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion
Private Laurie Anthony Coombe SX25862, 35 yrs of 2/4 Pioneer Battalion
Private Ian Scott McDowall QX26044, 23 yrs of 1 Parachute Maintenance Platoon AAOC
Trooper George Phillip Duffy QX28187, 23 yrs of 2/5 Commando Squadron
Private John McAlorum QX54584, 20 yrs of 2/23 Australian Infantry Battalion
Trooper Ronald Leslie Mathieson QX60160, 20 yrs of 2/6 Commando Squadron
Private Arthur Trevor Jorgenson QX60848, 20 yrs, of 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion
Private Keith John Bowden, 22 yrs of 2/12th Australian Infantry Battalion
Trooper Fredrick Joeph Ireland NX114117, 23 yrs of 2/5Commando Squadron
Private James Ivan Tindall NX126131, 32 yrs of 2/16 Australian Infantry Battalion
Corporal George John Welch NX31956, 34 yrs of 2/102 General Transport Company
Private Mervyn John Ford NX78164, 25 yrs, of 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion
Sergeant Arthur John Hyde NX88349, 37 yrs of 30 Works Company
Private Donald William Smith NX92958, 22 yrs, of 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion
Private Ian Thomas Lawler Ray NX203686, 19 yrs, of 2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion
Sapper James Francis MacDougall NX204635, 25 yrs of 5 Mechanical Equipment Company RAE
Sapper John Matthews NX128663, 22 yrs of 9 Works Company
Gunner Trevor John Eiszele TX8234, 24 yrs of 2/8 Field Regiment

** Lt Alun Morris Jones QX4655, of 11 Australian Movement Control Group who was on the aircraft did not appear on the manifest for the flight.

The safe route from Biak to Horn Island was to fly across Geelvink Bay and then across the narrow Vegelkop neck of land and down the west coast of New Guinea to Horn Island. It would appear that Dakota A65-61 flew the almost direct route to Horn Island across the main mountain range, where many of the peaks were above 16,000 feet, some covered in snow. It was located about 120 miles east of the Geelvink-Volgelkop Neck route. It is believed that the aircraft was flying north at the time of impact suggesting that it may have encountered clouds while flying in the high valley, and then decided to turn around to fly back out of the valley.

On 3 December 1970, the Australian military implemented Operation "Tropic Snow" to recover the remains of those killed in this tragic crash. Support aircraft that flew into Biak were three Hercules C-130's, two Iroquois, a Caribou and an Army Pilatus Porter.

After some delays due to bad weather, a RAAF Iroquois winched down two personnel to the crash site. They were winched out about 90 minutes later with the remains of the victims of this crash. The remains were taken to Port Moresby for identification.

The remains were buried in the Bomana Port Moresby War Cemetery with full military honours on 26 January 1971. The Pacific Island Regiment together with its Pipes and Drums took part in the moving ceremony, attended by service representatives and families of the deceased.

On 3 July 2010, past and present parachute riggers from all over Australia honoured Private Ian Scott McDowall QX26044, 23 yrs of 1 Parachute Maintenance Platoon AAOC during the naming of a new parachute rigger training facility at Bandiana Army base in Victoria. It was called the "Pte. I.S. McDowall Building". Private Ian McDowall was the only ordnance parachute maintainer to have died during WWII. His sister Betty Lawrence assisted Colonel Andrew Adams, Commandant ALTC to unveil the plaque on the new building.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Penny Stibbard and Trish Mullins for their assistance with this home page.

REFERENCE BOOK

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

"Aircraft of the RAAF 1921- 71"
By Geoffrey Pentland & Peter Malone

"Last Flight of Dakota A65-61"
by Bruce McMaugh, of 2/31 battalion

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products