FORCED LANDING OF TWO B-25 MITCHELLS
RETURNING TO McDONALD AIRFIELD, NT
31 JANUARY 1943

 

On 31 January 1943, while returning from a dawn raid on Dili, two B-25 Mitchells from 18 Squadron of the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (NEI-AF) made forced landings short of their home base at McDonald airfield in the Northern Territory due to a shortage of fuel. There were no casualties.

One of these two aircraft was B-25C Mitchell, N5-139 (#41-12913) which made an emergency landing in an area  south west of Darwin (about 30 - 40 kms NNE of Port Keats) on 31 January 1943. This aircraft was written off and Struck Off Charge (SOC). Bill Allom from the Darwin Aviation Museum told me that B-25 Mitchell of 18 Squadron N5-139 made a forced landing on the Moyle River flood plains and was left there until late 1973 when a team from the Australian Army lead by Peter Drescher recovered the cockpit section, the outer wings and the rear fuselage and tail section. This was all recovered to Darwin and some still remains with the Society. The complete rear section including the tail has disappeared and no one seems to know where. Only the main section of fuselage and the two engines were left behind as access to the wreck site was impossible for vehicles and everything had to be winched across the flood plain to hardstand.

 

Possibly B-25C Mitchell, N5-139. It appears to be a
different aircraft to the one in the large colour photo below
based on the positioning of the propeller blades.

 

In about 1970 a RAAF Iroquois A2-390 located the wreckage of a B-25C Mitchell. Crew member Monty Jesinowski took the following photos. The machine guns and most of the instrumentation were still located in the aircraft. From the photos its seems to be peppered with bullet holes. Were these WW2 vintage or had the RAAF been using it for target practice?

 

This B-25 Mitchell appears to be a different aircraft to the one in the thumbnails below
based on the position of the propellers and the extent of the vegetation near the
aircraft. Flight Lieutenant Allen Bridges (pilot) and Monty Jesinowski (in the cockpit).
(Unless the photograph was printed in reverse from the negative)

 

B-25C Mitchell, possibly B-25C Mitchell, N5-139 (#41-12913).
Note the 50 calibre machine guns on top of the aircraft.

 

The following photos are of B-25C Mitchell, N5-139 (#41-12913)
The numbers 913 can be seen on the tail in one of the photos below.

nt82-01.jpg (30764 bytes) nt82-02.jpg (46853 bytes) nt82-03.jpg (106341 bytes)
nt82-04.jpg (27160 bytes) nt82-05.jpg (39824 bytes) nt82-06.jpg (64603 bytes)
nt82-07.jpg (58067 bytes) nt82-08.jpg (87144 bytes) nt82-09.jpg (107273 bytes)
nt82-10.jpg (126711 bytes) nt82-11.jpg (50247 bytes) nt82-12.jpg (57472 bytes)
nt82-13.jpg (87707 bytes) nt82-15.jpg (30283 bytes) nt82-16.jpg (38554 bytes)

 

The other aircraft was B-25 Mitchell, N5-134, #41-12885 of 18 Squadron NEI-AF which made an emergency landing at Port Keats on the same day. B-25 Mitchell N5-134 was refuelled and returned to service. This information comes from the book "Mitchells in Dutch service during WW2", which covers both 18 Squadron NEI and 320 Squadron RAF.

Both of these aircraft had been returning from a mission and run low on fuel and and being unable to return to base at MacDonald strip were making for the emergency strip at Port Keats to refuel.

 

fairbairn01.jpg (114570 bytes)
Photo:- Ted Brault

B-25 Mitchells of 18 Squadron NEI-AF at Fairbairn airfield
The aircraft in the foreground is N5-134, #41-12885.

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Ed Ragas, Editor of Bulletin Air War 1939-1945 www.airwarweb.net for his assistance with this home page.

I'd also like to thank Randell Summerville and his cousin Rod Brault (son of Ted Brault) for their assistance with this home page.

I'd also like to thank Monty Jesinowski for his assistance with this home page.

I'd also like to thank Bill Allom for his assistance in confirming the location of these two instances.

 

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Nederlandse Mitchells ( Dutch Mitchells) "
by Mr. G. Tonrij

 

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

 

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This page first produced 1 January 2000

This page last updated 26 March 2021