While we are on about yarns, there used to be a great one (true or otherwise) about "Forgie" and a QF DC4 F full of monkeys in the crz around the Gulf of Carpentaria suddenly going very quiet. The two younger lads up the front got it sorted and a couple going again just as Forgie burst in from "controlled rest" and made some adjustments from the Fitch position which certainly made things quiet again
I wonder if that was the same incident (certainly monkeys were involved and the captain was in the cabin at the time) where the DC4 had a runaway propeller (or some malfunction anyway) and I think two engines were inadvertently closed down on one side. I think the aircraft was coming from or going to Timor? The year was around 1954-5?
Unless of course there were other incidents involving DC4's and monkeys and double close downs which would seem highly coincidental, then one of the "two younger lads" you referred to was former Flight Lieutenant John B. Thomas AFC. Flt Lt Thomas was a RAAF Dakota captain when he was awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) for exemplary flying during rescue missions during the Mount Lamington (TPNG) volcano disaster which killed well over a thousand people.
I knew Jack Thomas well as I was his copilot on Lincoln bombers based at Townsville in 1953. He was a superb operator and my understanding is he joined Qantas as a DC4 second officer after his short service commission expired. I have often wondered if he is still alive - if so he would about 86 by now. After the DC4 incident referred to above, I understand he was sacked from Qantas as he was partially blamed for the incident by QF management at the time. For a man with such excellent flying skills demonstrated in the dangerous skies around Mt Lamington and the recipient of the highly regarded AFC, his apparent dismissal by Qantas over the incident brings to mind the expression "scapegoat."
Does any Pprune reader know if Jack Thomas is still around and what the real story was as against myths?