Aircraft wreck in Princess Charlotte Bay
Thread Starter
Aircraft wreck in Princess Charlotte Bay
Finishing a 60km bushwalk through Cape Melville NP last week, and on the beach in Bathurst Bay (within .5nm of the Benta - Lockhart River track) is a well buried aircraft wing in the sand. Anyone know of its origin? It is old - although exactly how old i am not expert enough to tell.
Will email a photo for those who are interested.
Cheers
CS
Will email a photo for those who are interested.
Cheers
CS
According to my list of wrecks, there are two in the Princess Charlotte Bay area. They are a US B25 AND and a civilian type which has not been positively identified. Any photo might solve the mystery...
Bottums Up
Stallie, I recall hearing a story some 15 years ago, about a flock of Americans who were to fly from Townsville to PNG. As WW II was in full swing and maps were a little short on, they asked some Aussie for directions.
The laconic reply was, turn north, keep Australia on your left and keep going, you can't miss it!
The "can't miss it" should have alerted them of the trap.
Anyhow, the story goes that said Americans rounded Cape York and all ran out of fuel somewhere on the Gulf coast! :o
The laconic reply was, turn north, keep Australia on your left and keep going, you can't miss it!
The "can't miss it" should have alerted them of the trap.
Anyhow, the story goes that said Americans rounded Cape York and all ran out of fuel somewhere on the Gulf coast! :o
Capn Claret. Your story is tad embellished but based in fact. A flight of nine (??) USAF P39 Air Cobras were being ferried to PNG. They encountered bad weather in the Straits and elected to follow the Aussie coast looking for a place to land.
Ultimately they landed on a beach north of Weipa and the crews were rescued.
Most of those aircraft have since been recovered - I think one or two may now be flying in the USA. I also seem to recall the Australian War Memorial has one of the aircraft on display?
Ultimately they landed on a beach north of Weipa and the crews were rescued.
Most of those aircraft have since been recovered - I think one or two may now be flying in the USA. I also seem to recall the Australian War Memorial has one of the aircraft on display?
Thread Starter
Gnadenburg,
Thanks, wreck is approx 2nm south west of Cape Melville on the beach. Approx S14deg 13' E 144deg 28'. Exact GPS position still in the GPS currently on loan to a mate. Just grabbed the lat and long off my WAC chart.
Where can I find more info on the wreck? I am writing an account of the hike for a magazine, and it adds an historical element to the article, which will nicely complement our tales of crocs, dugongs, snakes, sharks, turtles, rays, fish, pigs, cattle and assorted other wildlife.
Capt Claret I too have heard that tale, and the wrecks are somewhere around Weipa.
Thanks all for your prompt replies!
Photo to come 2moro - cannot be bothered leaving the seaside balcony to go into town and get ' this arvo!
Thanks, wreck is approx 2nm south west of Cape Melville on the beach. Approx S14deg 13' E 144deg 28'. Exact GPS position still in the GPS currently on loan to a mate. Just grabbed the lat and long off my WAC chart.
Where can I find more info on the wreck? I am writing an account of the hike for a magazine, and it adds an historical element to the article, which will nicely complement our tales of crocs, dugongs, snakes, sharks, turtles, rays, fish, pigs, cattle and assorted other wildlife.
Capt Claret I too have heard that tale, and the wrecks are somewhere around Weipa.
Thanks all for your prompt replies!
Photo to come 2moro - cannot be bothered leaving the seaside balcony to go into town and get ' this arvo!
Last edited by compressor stall; 7th Aug 2002 at 05:35.
Join Date: May 2001
Location: AUS
Posts: 218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Is there a web site where this information is held. I'd be quite interested in doing some of reading of this subject myself. Folks like Gnadenburg seem to have quite specific information.
Thread Starter
curiouser and curiouser :)
Gnadeburg, disregard request. Google.com is wonderful!
Twin NDB try here: (did a google seach on the above aircraft type and serial #.)
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages...oyer/crash.htm
30 mins later.....
The plot thickens - according to the lat and long of that wreck it is on the SOUTH EASTERN side of Cape Melville. We were most definitely on the Bathurst Bay side on the WEST of cape melville.
Could the Long of the wreck be in error, (as the Lat seems correct) or is it something not listed?
Twin NDB try here: (did a google seach on the above aircraft type and serial #.)
http://www.picknowl.com.au/homepages...oyer/crash.htm
30 mins later.....
The plot thickens - according to the lat and long of that wreck it is on the SOUTH EASTERN side of Cape Melville. We were most definitely on the Bathurst Bay side on the WEST of cape melville.
Could the Long of the wreck be in error, (as the Lat seems correct) or is it something not listed?
Last edited by compressor stall; 7th Aug 2002 at 05:30.
Compressor
Go to the 13th Air Force home page,there are links to the Army Air Corp site that provides crash details,crew etc.Serial number important.
Being Yanks they may charge.
Go to the 13th Air Force home page,there are links to the Army Air Corp site that provides crash details,crew etc.Serial number important.
Being Yanks they may charge.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australasia.
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wrecks.
Think Gnadenburg right, although I don't have a chart to check the quoted position. 14 March 1945, a C-47 went in. I'm quoting a reference from a web site that tells of Pacific & Australia WW2 wrecks. Site says position is 14.12 144.33 Someone with chart could see if it's the one in question. 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: UAE
Age: 63
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
wrecks north of Weipa
Hi all,
used to work in Weipa many moons ago, I always thought that the 2 wrecks on Duyfken Point were P47's.
I've only got photos of them from the air, not from the ground but they did look p47ish, they had been destroyed by the pilots to prevent falling into Japanese hands.
there is also a flying fortress somewhere close to Weipa in the jungle...never had the nerve to try to find that one.
used to work in Weipa many moons ago, I always thought that the 2 wrecks on Duyfken Point were P47's.
I've only got photos of them from the air, not from the ground but they did look p47ish, they had been destroyed by the pilots to prevent falling into Japanese hands.
there is also a flying fortress somewhere close to Weipa in the jungle...never had the nerve to try to find that one.
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Australasia.
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Wrecks
Those blokes flying the 'Straits' may be familiar with a B-25 wreck that lays between the Boigu-Saibai track, although (from memory) one had to stray (due wx, of course) across the border-lines to view it...
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: YBBN
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Torres
I recall sighting one of those Aircobras in the shallows somewhere near Silver Plains about twenty-five years ago.
A couple of local Thursday Island identies found an Aircobra on the cape near Bamaga in the late sixties or early seventies. A ground inspection revealed the aircraft was in tact and contained a large number of live rounds. The Army made it safe with some explosive devices but damaged the aircraft.
Later in the seventies I saw one under restoration in Clermont and the suggestion was that it came from the Cape!
Many of the wrecks I had seen around the Cape and the Gulf have either disappeared into oblivion or have been recovered.
I recall sighting one of those Aircobras in the shallows somewhere near Silver Plains about twenty-five years ago.
A couple of local Thursday Island identies found an Aircobra on the cape near Bamaga in the late sixties or early seventies. A ground inspection revealed the aircraft was in tact and contained a large number of live rounds. The Army made it safe with some explosive devices but damaged the aircraft.
Later in the seventies I saw one under restoration in Clermont and the suggestion was that it came from the Cape!
Many of the wrecks I had seen around the Cape and the Gulf have either disappeared into oblivion or have been recovered.
Bottums Up
Stallie,
Haven't taken a job with that esteemed journal,
The NT News have ya? 
I am writing an account of the hike for a 'magazine', and it adds an historical element to the article, which will nicely complement our tales of crocs, ..... snakes, sharks, ..... pigs .......
The NT News have ya?