During the war three P38's en route Port Moresby-Merauke ran out of fuel in the Bensbach/Arufi area. The story is that they left Townsville,loaded up with fuel,at the expense of ammunition,for Port Moresby. They arrived at Moresby during a Japanese air raid. Low on fuel and with no ammunition they made a run for Merauke which was in allied hands. Three of them ran out of fuel and ditched,one near Arufi,one on the coast somewhere south of Arufi,and the one shown below about 5-10 miles SE of Bensbach. All the pilots were rescued. The photos below were taken over thirty years ago. At the end of the dry season you can drive to the wreck. I don't know what condition it would be in now as it goes underwater every wet season.
The two Dim Dims are Peter Leite,NHC surveyor,and Doug Barsby,(deceased),2IC National Mapping Bureau.