The Momet

[tinpis]

Roy Worcester had a fine collection of Jap plane wrecks and weapons in Wewak many moons ago.
I believe a Tony ended up in the Weeks collection?

Roy "The Momet" (singlet) (http://www.fototime.com/{DB93337D-E529-4C50-B15E-41E17482D8EF}/picture.JPG)

Kawasaki Tony and Zero wreckage (http://www.fototime.com/{0A0DB2C1-A059-4687-BBDF-6F5E1AF3B202}/picture.JPG)

Tony engine DB copy (http://www.fototime.com/{0EE31028-AB71-4CCD-ADDA-7A6ACEC995DE}/picture.JPG)
LOL note machine gun used to hold sheet of iron down.

Jap gun (http://www.fototime.com/{52BA558A-62E3-4981-BB1E-466FF0431AE3}/picture.JPG)

Jap gun sledged down from hills above Wewak.Gun was knocked out in P-47 strike,not before it caused a big bloody nuisance.

[Torres]

I remember those just out of Wewak. Wonder what happened to them? Maybe at the Port Moresby War Museum (http://www.pacificwrecks.com/restore/png_museum.html)?

[tinpis]

Yep Torres was just near the entrance to the Cafflick mission strip Wiruwi (sp)

[Ace on Base]

:) Torres, When I was but a wee lad, I recall someone mentioning that someone else (was it you?) had a Cache of machine guns (out of a fighter, or what I cant remember) (x 2) stored up in the loft of the Talair Hanger in Goroka?? what was the story there? I wonder where they ended up if ther was a Cache? (Maybe those pesky Chimbu rascals now have there own collection??:})

[Travelling Toolbox]

Doh! Looks like I lost my post!

I recall a Tony arriving in Wewak from the bush in the mid 1980's slung under a (then) RAAF Chinook. It was dropped off near the Talair office I think. Is this the same Tony or a different beast?

TT

[tinpis]

T.T.

The above photos were taken around '75.

The Tony you refer to was probably the one the momet had been trying to get out for years from near Maprik.
It had done a wheels up in a swamp due fuel exhaustion after being chased by a P-47.The pilot walked out to the coast and surrendered.
During the 70's the yank pilot of the P47 visited Wewak and told Roy the story of the plane.
It was in very good nick with only a few arrow holes in it .
This aircraft is the one I believe Kermit Weeks got his hands on.
Roy had a stash of weapons including machine guns mortar and mountain guns.
I little further out from his property at Cape Wom the Japs in the area surrendered their weapons and they were all bulldozed into a trench near the beach.
We used to BBQ and swim there and hoist out old rusty jap rifles.
I have seen photos of But (sp)(Just a few miles north of Wewak) airstrip taken in the 50's with many abandoned jap fighters on their wheels.

Em nau.

[Travelling Toolbox]

tinpis

Thanks for that can o' fish :cool:

I know what you mean by fighters sitting on airstrips to the north. I remember doing a milkrun to Vanimo (all stops) from
Wewak and landing at some little strip whose name escapes me for the moment. I looked down on short finals and there in the jungle just off the (northern?) end was a fighter sitting on its hubs but otherwise fairly well in one piece.
The usual panels missing but still looked okay.

Just off the edge of the strip were graders, bulldozers and various AA guns. Dredging the memory banks for a name but can't quite grasp it. I remember someone telling me that the strip (marsden matting type) had been used/built by both sides during the conflict.

TT

[tinpis]

:}

"Taim bilong masta" a 24 part series starts this morning on the radio national wireless after the 10 am news.
Its presented by Tim Bowden.

[Torres]

Ace on Base. T'was not I. There was a 50 cal machine gun in Goroka, recovered from an aircraft wreck in the Ramu Valley (Mitchell Bomber?).

Some of the engineers at another establshment down the airstrip, cleaned it p and managed to get it firing.

Last I saw it many years ago, it was hanging on the wall of the Aero Club in Goroka.

[tinpis]

:ok:

Taim bilong masta (http://www.abc.net.au/rn/summer/summer2003/taim_bilong.htm)

[Travelling Toolbox]

tinpis

Through the mists of time and booze.....

I believe that airstrip was Tadji (spelling?) with the derilect Japanese fighter aircaft off in the bush.

Merry Christmas

TT

[tinpis]

Yup TT alcoholtzheimers is no fun:uhoh:

Could have been Tadji or perhaps Aitape? although the latter was pretty well cleaned out in 73/4.

Aitape was marsden mat ?? anyone recall?