Good morning,
As many of us, i’ve always had a strong interest in WWII wrecks and relics left in New guinea after the end of the war.
I had the chance to meet Ch. Darby a few years ago and received from him a lot of documentation and photos of what was left in the 70’s in the PNG side and the Solomons; but very little from Irian Jaya (Morotai for example was off limits to foreigners).
But as Irian Jaya was part of Dutch New Guinea up to the early to mid sixties, The RNAF surely had some units based over there.
So, could anybody tell us which units were based there after WWII and if possible where.
I guess that if any unit was based in the Vogelkop peninsula, Biak or Morotai, it must be possible to find/contact veterans who documented what was left at the time of their stay.
Have a nice day,
Laurent
By: Arthur - 12th December 2004 at 14:56
The wreck of Hunter F4 N-112 (c/n 44-30399) still was at Biak in 1989, there was a picture of it in Onze Luchtmacht iirc.
There are a few more former-Dutch aircraft surviving in Indonesia mentioned at http://www.vankaathoven.nu/Indonisia.HTM
The units Tenthije mentiones above were at Biak in 1962, when the Dutch finally left New Guinea. Before that, the following was also based at Biak:
1955:
321 Squadron Catalina Biak, New Guinea (previously operated by 7sqn)
1960:
7 Squadron Firefly Biak, New Guinea
321 Squadron Mariner Biak, New Guinea (considering the Dutch lost 3 Mariners in the area, there might be some wreckage of those around as well).
Also present in 1962 was 6 Squadron with the Firefly 4.
By: tenthije - 12th December 2004 at 13:47
Navy (MLD):
321 sqn was based at Biak flying 10 Neptunes. 326 personnel
Air Force
22 Hunter (12 x 322sqn)
4 C-47 Dakota’s (at least one from 336sqn)
2 Allouette-2s (both 322sqn)
total of 9523 personnel
One of the C47s crashed, the X-11. That plane was from 336sqn so I am assuming all 4 C47s where from 336sqn.
Dutch only:
http://members.chello.nl/g.thijssen4/Periode_1962/Inleiding/inleiding.html
http://www.biak.info/ probably a very good start for your search
English:
httpw.pacificwrecks.com/provinces/irian_biak.html
http://www.322squadron.nl/geschiedenisuk.htm
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December 12, 2004 at 10:46 am