PNG Wrecks

I’ll make an effort to locate them this weekend!
We were shown the F-5 in 1976 by a chap called Paul who was present when it crashed. He said that the pilot survived and was looked after by the villagers before trying to get back to allied lines over the mountains. I wonder what happened to him? Also the Ki-48 Lily. When I asked our guide how he knew that the bones belonged to the co-pilot he said that again the pilot had survived the crash,
jim

Look forward to that Jim, thanks.

I’ll make an effort to locate them this weekend!
We were shown the F-5 in 1976 by a chap called Paul who was present when it crashed. He said that the pilot survived and was looked after by the villagers before trying to get back to allied lines over the mountains. I wonder what happened to him? Also the Ki-48 Lily. When I asked our guide how he knew that the bones belonged to the co-pilot he said that again the pilot had survived the crash,
jim

Look forward to that Jim, thanks.

jim Jobe, Your photos from that era are only going to get rarer and more valuable with time.

I’ll make an effort to locate them this weekend!
We were shown the F-5 in 1976 by a chap called Paul who was present when it crashed. He said that the pilot survived and was looked after by the villagers before trying to get back to allied lines over the mountains. I wonder what happened to him? Also the Ki-48 Lily. When I asked our guide how he knew that the bones belonged to the co-pilot he said that again the pilot had survived the crash,
jim

jim Jobe, Your photos from that era are only going to get rarer and more valuable with time.

I’ll make an effort to locate them this weekend!
We were shown the F-5 in 1976 by a chap called Paul who was present when it crashed. He said that the pilot survived and was looked after by the villagers before trying to get back to allied lines over the mountains. I wonder what happened to him? Also the Ki-48 Lily. When I asked our guide how he knew that the bones belonged to the co-pilot he said that again the pilot had survived the crash,
jim

Another PNG Pic

Just to give a flavour of the country and locals, I used to spend all my free time going into the jungle exploring with a team and recovering items! This was the entrance to a Japanese hospital cut into a cave at the back of Rabaul harbour, all the beds and equipement were still there along with Japenese helmets and weapons (although rusted through!). If only I had had the foresight and spare cash to transport these back to the UK at the time!
+Sorry its not aviation themed, my other aircraft pictures are too large to post

Another PNG Pic

Just to give a flavour of the country and locals, I used to spend all my free time going into the jungle exploring with a team and recovering items! This was the entrance to a Japanese hospital cut into a cave at the back of Rabaul harbour, all the beds and equipement were still there along with Japenese helmets and weapons (although rusted through!). If only I had had the foresight and spare cash to transport these back to the UK at the time!
+Sorry its not aviation themed, my other aircraft pictures are too large to post

jim Jobe, The F-5 wreckage is still on Siar island in Madang, however there is considerably less of it now. Mainly just the inverted centre section that is buried in sand, right on the tide line. The Lilly above Sialum is still there, and is less interfferred with because of it’s remoteness, however it has been written up in several magazines and websites in recent years. Alexishafen still has some wreckage, and you can take a day tour from the Madang resort Hotel, the Helen is the principle piece of wreckage remaining. A tree fell on it’s rear fuse a couple of years back, further damaging it. Oh yes, about 13 years ago, some enterprising locals cut the outer wings off and sold them for scrap. I can no longer find any Oscar wrecks there, but some Ki-61 wreckage still remains. Finchhafen has had some legal aircraft recoveries in the last 10 years, with a couple of P-38’s, P-40’s,P-39’s(I think),P-47’s and a B-25
being exported, so this is a positive outcome. Your photos from that era are only going to get rarer and more valuable with time.

jim Jobe, The F-5 wreckage is still on Siar island in Madang, however there is considerably less of it now. Mainly just the inverted centre section that is buried in sand, right on the tide line. The Lilly above Sialum is still there, and is less interfferred with because of it’s remoteness, however it has been written up in several magazines and websites in recent years. Alexishafen still has some wreckage, and you can take a day tour from the Madang resort Hotel, the Helen is the principle piece of wreckage remaining. A tree fell on it’s rear fuse a couple of years back, further damaging it. Oh yes, about 13 years ago, some enterprising locals cut the outer wings off and sold them for scrap. I can no longer find any Oscar wrecks there, but some Ki-61 wreckage still remains. Finchhafen has had some legal aircraft recoveries in the last 10 years, with a couple of P-38’s, P-40’s,P-39’s(I think),P-47’s and a B-25
being exported, so this is a positive outcome. Your photos from that era are only going to get rarer and more valuable with time.

Something I came across one day and had to try it out!

Fantastic pics Simon, thanks. Now where’s my time machine…….

Something I came across one day and had to try it out!

Fantastic pics Simon, thanks. Now where’s my time machine…….

PNG

Something I came across one day and had to try it out!

PNG

Something I came across one day and had to try it out!

While we’re on the subject of wrecks, does anyone know why photos of the large number of intact Morotai wrecks never came into the public domain before they were scrapped. Surely it would have caused quite a sensation at the time – 1988 I think it was. Apparently a US museum was offered a Ford built B-24 and turned it down, so the information was out there.

“B-25’s, B-24’s, A-20’s P-40’s, P-38’s, Dauntlesses, and Corsairs”

Still find it hard to get over that loss.:mad:

While we’re on the subject of wrecks, does anyone know why photos of the large number of intact Morotai wrecks never came into the public domain before they were scrapped. Surely it would have caused quite a sensation at the time – 1988 I think it was. Apparently a US museum was offered a Ford built B-24 and turned it down, so the information was out there.

“B-25’s, B-24’s, A-20’s P-40’s, P-38’s, Dauntlesses, and Corsairs”

Still find it hard to get over that loss.:mad:

I was living and working in Rabaul in 1968/69. There were so many crashed aircraft/ transport of all kinds just lying about no-one bothered to do anything with it. We were only concerned about all the uxb’s that were everywhere. We put old tin cans over them and once a month the Aussie Bomb Disposal came and cleared them.
The harbour was full of sunken ships/ aircraft /tanks, one scrap dealer from Aussie had a team of divers going down every day recovering stuff. The attached picture of an aircraft was in my back garden when I took the house over from the previous tenant. I’ve no idea what it was!

Wow, a zero in your back yard – complete with guns. Unbelievable how much we’ve lost in that short time. And to think I had the offer of visiting family in PNG in the 70s and passed on it.:(

Thanks for sharing. Any more where that came from? 😀

I was living and working in Rabaul in 1968/69. There were so many crashed aircraft/ transport of all kinds just lying about no-one bothered to do anything with it. We were only concerned about all the uxb’s that were everywhere. We put old tin cans over them and once a month the Aussie Bomb Disposal came and cleared them.
The harbour was full of sunken ships/ aircraft /tanks, one scrap dealer from Aussie had a team of divers going down every day recovering stuff. The attached picture of an aircraft was in my back garden when I took the house over from the previous tenant. I’ve no idea what it was!

Wow, a zero in your back yard – complete with guns. Unbelievable how much we’ve lost in that short time. And to think I had the offer of visiting family in PNG in the 70s and passed on it.:(

Thanks for sharing. Any more where that came from? 😀

Rabaul New Britain

I was living and working in Rabaul in 1968/69. There were so many crashed aircraft/ transport of all kinds just lying about no-one bothered to do anything with it. We were only concerned about all the uxb’s that were everywhere. We put old tin cans over them and once a month the Aussie Bomb Disposal came and cleared them.
The harbour was full of sunken ships/ aircraft /tanks, one scrap dealer from Aussie had a team of divers going down every day recovering stuff. The attached picture of an aircraft was in my back garden when I took the house over from the previous tenant. I’ve no idea what it was!

Rabaul New Britain

I was living and working in Rabaul in 1968/69. There were so many crashed aircraft/ transport of all kinds just lying about no-one bothered to do anything with it. We were only concerned about all the uxb’s that were everywhere. We put old tin cans over them and once a month the Aussie Bomb Disposal came and cleared them.
The harbour was full of sunken ships/ aircraft /tanks, one scrap dealer from Aussie had a team of divers going down every day recovering stuff. The attached picture of an aircraft was in my back garden when I took the house over from the previous tenant. I’ve no idea what it was!

Is that P-38 (or F-5?) still under the sand on that little island (can’t offhand remember the name) near Madang? Also I remember seeing a pile of pieces including Zero(s) at Finschhaffen/Alexishaffen in 1979 and a Lily up in the jungle above Sialum complete with ammo in the magazines and the co-pilot’s bones in the cockpit. I must dig out my photos.
Jim

Please do Jim, would love to see those.

Cheers

Is that P-38 (or F-5?) still under the sand on that little island (can’t offhand remember the name) near Madang? Also I remember seeing a pile of pieces including Zero(s) at Finschhaffen/Alexishaffen in 1979 and a Lily up in the jungle above Sialum complete with ammo in the magazines and the co-pilot’s bones in the cockpit. I must dig out my photos.
Jim

Please do Jim, would love to see those.

Cheers