2 February 1944 - Crash of C-47 Dakota between Cooktown and Milne Bay

2 FEBRUARY 1944
CRASH OF A C-47 DAKOTA
BETWEEN COOKTOWN AND MILNE BAY

USAAF DAT controlled C-47A-25-DL Dakota, "Shack Trooper", #42-23487, c/n 9349, VH-CJM went missing on 2 February 1944 on a flight from Townsville in north Queensland to Gurney Airfield, Milne Bay in New Guinea. 22 personnel were eventually presumed dead as a result of this missing aircraft. They are all still listed as Missing in Action MIA.

Crew - 33rd Squadron, 374th Troop Carrier Group, 5th Air Force

Pilot - 1st Lt. John B. Donovan (0-662547)
Co-Pilot - 2nd Lt. Leo W. Zimmerman (0-753267)
Engineer - T/Sgt Harry T. Moseley (13030508)
Radio Operator - Sgt. Cleveland Olson (NMI) Jr. (14062047)

Passengers

1st Lt. Robert N. Simon (0923983) - CE Hq. Sixth Army APO 442
T/5 Ole Charles Lund (33475690) - Hq Det. Sixth Army (Eng. S)
T/3 Sidney W. Hubbell (38074340) - Hq Det. Sixth Army (Eng. S)
T/4 Leland L. Abrigg (15077461) - Hq Det. Sixth Army (Eng. S)
Mr. Robert L. Pinkham - Civilian employee, Base Port Command Base Section 2
Major Angus D. Teskey (0350225) - Hq 6th AAA GP APO 928
Cpl. Robert J. Appel (36192730) - Hq 6th AAA GP APO 928
Pvt. Harold H. King (33286856) - Hq 6th AAA GP APO 928
Mr. Norreys H. McKay - American Red Cross
2nd Lt. Neil D. Quast (1945251) - DS Distribution Centre Base

Capt. Albert P. Nichol (0336218) - ORD
Capt. Alfred W. Frankenfield (0317318) - CE
Capt. William S. Imorde (0386216) - TC
Capt. Oliver J. Nordby (0441283) - QMC
Capt. Ralph H. Turner (0352890) - QMC
W/O jg. Walter A. Kendzor (Q2127569) - AUS
Major Charles J. Fay (0334131) - SIG
Major Eric Maxwell Catherwood (QX35565) - Milne Bay Base Sub Area

One radio transmission was heard from this C-47 by the radio station at Horn Island noting that they were trying to contact Gurney Airfield in New Guinea. There was no reply. After that radio transmission they were not seen nor heard from again and are believed to have crashed into the sea.

A Dornier Flying Boat belonging to Air Sea Rescue Service, RAAF, stationed at Goodenough Island, searched the Goodenough Island, Woodlark Island and Milne Bay areas without success. Another Dornier Flying Boat based at Townsville searched the area between Townsville and Milne Bay. All other aircraft flying from Townsville, Cooktown and Horn Island to Port Moresby or Milne Bay were ordered to be on the lookout for the missing C-47.

Ray Blackwood contacted me on 8 March 1999, saying that he was interested in the abovementioned incident because a local identity who had been an owner of Daydream Island Island in the 1930's, Eric Catherwood, was aboard the C-47 which went missing on 2 February 1944.

Michael Claringbould's book "The Forgotten Fifth" mentions on page 105, that a 1st Lt. John Donovan disappeared between Cooktown and Ward's airfield in Port Moresby on 2 February 1944.

REFERENCE BOOKS

The Forgotten Fifth
A Classic Photographic Chronology of the
Fifth Air Force in Action in the Pacific in WW2
By Michael Claringbould

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

SOURCE:- Aircraft Crash Sites - Australia

Crash: No. 6

Position: 15.28 - 145.14

Department of Aviation Chart No: 3112

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett, Ray Blackwood, Lyn Burke and Norman Weeding for their assistance with this home page.

REFERENCE

USAAF MACR 2049

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?