DAMAGE TO A C-47 DAKOTA
AT BATCHELOR, NT
ON 29 AUGUST 1942

On 29 August 1942, the pilot of C-47 #41-7733 (later VHCCE "Eager Beaver") of the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron, was forced to ground loop the aircraft, while making a down-wind landing at Batchelor Airfield in the Northern Territory, to avoid hitting a row of RAAF P-40B Kittyhawks. C-47 #41-7733 was the only C-47 serving with the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron at that point in time. Its sister ship, C-47 #41-7732, was the only C-47 serving with the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron at that point in time.

The War Diary for the 43rd Material Squadron (aka 43rd Service Squadron) AFHRA Reel A0941 page 211 has the following description for this incident that occurred after 25-29 August 1942 period:-

S/Sgt. Kobe and his men were on the go again at the first of the month, this time to pick up a C-47 transport plane that cracked up on landing at Batchelor Field. In attempting a down-wing (sic) landing this plane was forced to intentionally ground loop to avoid hitting a string of Aussie P-40Bs lined up on the far end of the runway. The left landing gear buckled, ripped out of place and threw the plane into an Aussie truck along the side of the landing strip, badly damaging the right prop and engine. Kobe and his men, assisted by S/Sgts. Wickell and Abbott with their C-2 wrecker and flat trailer, completely dismantled the transport, (it was decided infeasible to undertake repairs), and loaded it on small flat cars for transporting to the docks at Darwin. Two of these flat cars were utilized for the fuselage alone and were accompanied by six Tech Supply men. Reaching a small junction on the outskirts of Darwin, all but the wings were transferred to the flat trailer in order to detour around an underpass. Three trips were made through the streets of Darwin with the trailer, each taking about 90 minutes to cover the two miles distance. On one of the trips, Pvt. Christofferson, riding the top of the load to guide Sgt. Abbott under overhead obstructions, came into contact with a high tension line and knocked himself cold. Had not Kobe and Pvt. Stegall gone to his rescue he would have had a nasty fall from his lofty perch. Christofferson was rushed to a hospital and soon recovered from his experience of near electrocution. With the sections of the plane once at the docks, they were reloaded to more flat cars for temporary storage until a boat arrived to haul the plane to Brisbane. Incidently (sic), the Japs came over on the two nights spent in Darwin by these men. Bombs failed to hit near the plane although the Nips' target was apparently the harbour area.

Photo:- Bob Livingstone Collection

C-47-DL Dakota, #41-7733, c/n 4212, VHCCE at Parafield

#41-7733 had been shipped to Australia from the USA and was assembled by CAC Fishermans Bend in Victoria, and was assigned to the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron in April 1942. After being repaired it was transferred away from the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron in June 1942. This same aircraft was later involved in a tragic accident when it crashed into Cleveland Bay near Townsville on 7 August 1943 with the death of all 27 people onboard.

NOTE:-

Norman Weeding had previously provided me with the following information back in about June 2000 which had an incorrect nose art name, and serial number for the C-47 involved in this accident:-

On 29 August 1942, a USAAF C-47 Dakota, "On Risky Business", #41-7688, C 49-DO, c/n 3273, VH-CDM, of the 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron of the 374th Troop Carrier Group, was damaged at Batchelor airfield in the Northern Territory. Cause unknown. It was subsequently rebuilt at Essendon in Victoria.

On 12 November 2023, Gordon Birkett advised that #41-7688 that Norman Wedding had suggested was actually a Douglas C-49-DO Construction Number 03273, which had been Condemned in the Philippines on 18 January 1942 and it had never been in Australia during WWII.

Fred Niven's research states that VHCDM was Douglas DC-3 (C-47-DL), Construction No. 4212, #41-7733 which is correct.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett and Norman Weeding for their assistance with this home page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 2 June 2000

This page last updated 14 November 2023