Png 1945

[Walrus 7]

Hello, all.

I have a challenge for you.

On 18 February 1945, an aircraft described as "American" crashed onto the tent lines at Nadzab airport, Lae Papua New Guinea. Several people on the ground were killed.

I am desperate to know more about the incident. The war diaries available in the Australian War Memorial have little mention of it.

Can anyone help me with where I could find more information, such as the a/c type, unit etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Walrus

[Woomera]

Hope you have more luck here, Walrus. There is an enormous wealth of historical aviation research skills amongst the users in this forum.

Walrus mentioned elsewhere: "...one of the people killed on the ground in the PNG accident I have been researching was the Rev'd Chaplain Maurice Waugh, former Priest-in-Charge of the Parish of Hillston NSW 1930

Rev'd Waugh had been born in Dearham, Cumberland. The church graveyard at Dearham contains the remains of the parents of Fletcher Christian, ancestor of Errol Flynn."

Woomera

[Woomera]

Walrus

I tackled your problem from a different direction – via the Australian War Memorial Nominal Role:

http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/name.asp#searchtabs

“Maurice Waugh”, as a Chaplin, would have been a servicing member of the Australian Forces. There were 199 servicemen with the surname “Waugh” – but you have a mistake, you are not looking for "Maurice Waugh", but Chaplin Moses Maurice WAUGH Service No NX157165 (N281952), born 3 November 1902 at Dearham, England and died on 18 Feb 1945 whilst attached to CHAPLAINS DEP (ATT LAE WKSPS RAEME).

Chaplin Moses Waugh was attached to RAEME, not RAAChD.

He is buried in the Lae War Cemetery and his name is recorded on a Roll of Honour at Whitton, NSW. (Indicates the individual's name is listed on a community Roll of Honour in Australia. This information has been sourced from individual casualty records held by the Office of Australian War Graves.)

Rev Moses Waugh’s Official Service Record is available at the AWM Honour Roll:

http://www.awm.gov.au/database/roh.asp

I suggest you check whether you can search the databases by date of death to identify who else may have been killed in the same accident, same day, or alternatively check for a database on those buried in the Lae War Cemetery again for the same date of death.

Armed with that information, either the Army Archives, War Graves Commission or the Australian War Memorial should be able to dig up a report on the aircraft accident which caused the deaths.

Alternatively, Chaplain Waugh's father was deceased at the time of his son's death, but his mother was alive and living at 59 Arkaringa Cres, Blackrock, Victoria. Chaplain Waugh, whilst 43 at the time of his death, appears to have been single as his next of kin is stated as his mother. There is a chance you may be able to trace his family via one of the ancestry sites (the best are owned by the Mormon Church) or even be lucky enough to locate one of his neices or nephews of the same surname (try www.whitepages.com.au), assuming he had broithers.

Does that help? Let me know if you need any further assistance.

Woomera

P.S. I carried out another AWM database search for you. The only other serviceman to die on that date in PNG was at Aitape (a long way from Lae) so I think you can assume Chaplain Waugh was probably the sole fatality from the aircraft accident you are investigating, although others may have died of injuries on subsequent dates.

[Walrus 7]

People,

Thanks for taking up the challenge. Yes, it is Moses Maurice Waugh that I am researching. As his relative, I have most of the details of his service career, but the circumstances surrounding the crash that killed him are elusive. He left behind his sister and mother when he died.

Interestingly, I have found WX17093 Maj Wilfred Winzar of Lae Area Wk/shop AEME, who died from injuries on 18/2/45 and is buried at Lae Grave JB6. Maurice Waugh is buried in JB8.

I have also posted on pacificwrecks.com to see if anyone can help me with the crash.

You guys are brilliant

Walrus

[Fris B. Fairing]

Walrus

A mate of mine is a B-24 research specialist and he tells me that your Nadzab aeroplane was a B-24 but unfortunately he doesn't know its identity. Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers

[Walrus 7]

Fris,

It helps heaps!

It narrows down the units dramatically! Previously, it could have been anything from a C47 to a B25, B26 or a B17. That covers pretty much most of the Fifth Air Force.

Now I can start searching units in earnest.

Thanks to you and your mate

Walrus