Aircraft History
Flown to Australia by crew led by Group Signals Officer, Maj. Guy H. Rockey, arriving at Amberley Field near Brisbane on March 31, 1942.

Mission History
Took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby at 0900 hours. They sucessfully dropped their bombload of 100 lbs bombs on Lakunai Airfield near Rabaul. Tail gunner, John E. Ochs strafed Japanese flying boats moored off the end of Lakunai airdrome in the Sulphur Creek area during the attack.

Lt. Ashley in another B-26 observed Ford's bombing. He reported direct hits on many houses on or near the right end of the runway. One bomb hit directly between two parked bombers, probably seriously damaging or destroying both by shrapnel.

Just as the last bombs were dropped, three bursts of anti-aircraft fire struck the plane. The right engine was damaged, the left gas tank was hit and tour hydraulic lines were out. The right propeller also seemed to be hit. The entire hydraulic system was rendered useless.

The return flight was made to the island of New Guinea with the bomb-bay doors open. The right engine’s oil temperature went up fast and considerable gas was lost from the left tank. The oil temperature hit the top of The gauge and the pressure was low. The pilot did not feather the prop because he felt that it was damaged by AA fire. The right engine had to be throttled down to cool off. Lt. Ashley mapped out the shortest route to land the New Guinea mainland. Gas was transferred from the auxiliary tanks to the right tank. Land was sighted at 1535 hours.

Lt. Richard Robinson had been following the stricken plane, slowing down his ship to stick with Ford. When he saw Ford gaining altitude Robinson continued on. Ford tried to tell Robinson of his plane’s latest condition, but Ford’s command set was out. Ford then dropped down to 1,000 ft. and searched for a place to set down. Most of the fields were swampy, but one was found that looked all right except for a few trees. A crash landing was made. The plane’s right wing tip hit a tree and everything turned sideways for about 100 yards. A very good landing was made, with no injuries to the crew. The crew got out and checked on the plane; it was a complete wash-out. Loranger sent out a call to Port Moresby on the liaison set, but no reply was received. Emergency rations were checked and the ration limits set. The crew then tried to get some sleep after a very strenuous day, but the mosquitoes were very bad and sleep was impossible.

Crew Escape
On April 12, Ford and Disbro and Sgt. Long started to cut a path to the coast After seven and a half hours they found a river and two outrigger canoes. They took one and arrived at a friendly village down the river at 1800 hours. In the meantime, Lt. Ashley and the rest of the crew shot down some coconuts and found some swamp water into which they put in iodine tablets and found it drinkable. About 1700 hours, a RAAF Hudson found the crew and, dropped some food, but it wasn’t found. Some natives came, and one could understand a little English. Three stayed all night with the crew.

On April 13th, the crew took all the equipment that they intended to take to the village with them and put it all in one pile. The natives and crew went into the jungle, except Ford and Ashley. They waited to set fire by placing gas in the toliet and stayed to see it burnt.

The crew walked for about one and a half hours on logs, across patches of quicksand and marsh to the Musa River. The equipment was loaded in an outrigger canoe and the journey was made down the river to the native village of Sabaga. The unnecessary equipment was given to the natives for their food and help. One of the villagers went to Tufi to notify the resident magistrate about the Americans. The crew was fed on a diet of papaya, bananas, fish, squash, coconut and iodized water. The crew rigged up parachutes as mosquito netting. They were hot, but kept the mosquitoes away.

On April 15th, Lft Anderson, the Resident Magistrate of the district and the Reverend Taylor arrived. They brought the crew some food and water, ‘good old non-iodized water’ as one of the crew put it. By this time, the crew was getting pretty tired of a daily diet of quinine and iodized water. On April 16 Disbro, Long and Ochs left with the Rev Taylor and his boat for Tufi. Lft. Anderson,. with Lts. Ford and Ashley, Sgt.Roberts and Cpl. Loranger stayed to await the arrival of Anderson’s boat ‘The Edie.’

On April 17th .Anderson dispatched natives to find the food dropped by the Lockheed Hudson. The natives returned with the food, and reported that the plane was completely destroyed. Notice was received that ‘The Edie’ was out of commission and that Rev Taylor’s boat was broken down and the journey was being continued by canoe. On the 18th, the rest of the crew and Lit. Anderson left for Tufi in three outrigger canoes, arriving there at 1:30 on the 19th.

On April 20th, Lt. Ford sent a message to the 22nd BG Commander and to Port Moresby from the Tufi radio station. Up to the 29th of April, no word was received from any of the messages sent out and some of the crew were sick with a fever. At this time the crew was being taken care of with the best facilities of the resident magistrate and the resident missionary priest.

On May 5th, the crew was picked up by the government coastal launch, ‘The Olvira’ a craft of about 60' two masts, and diesel-powered engines. After two days travel, they arrived at Wygani, where they had to wait for more transportation. The crew returned to Ahioma, a place they had passed, a short way up the coast where they would be more comfortable.

On May 21, the crew was picked up by ‘Matoma’, a boat of about 75' but quite crowded with other passengers. The first day on the Matoma, five of the crew were stricken with malaria, at some time or other. The Matoma arrived at Fairfax Harbor at Port Moresby on May 26th. Two days later, on May 28, the crew hitch a ride aboard 22nd BG B-26 from 7-Mile Drome to their Squadron at Antill Plains Airfield in Australia. It had been 1 month and 17 days since their combat mission on April 11, 1942.

Wreckage
Destroyed by the crew, only wreckage remains.

Justin Taylan visited the site in 2003:
"According to landowners: 'Our fathers saw the plane crash, while working in their gardens. The people took their things out, and then poured gasoline on the plane to burn it. One of them approached the site, and found the pilot., and assisted him thru the jungle and via canoe to Tufi, where they were evacuated back to base. Eric died in 1972.' "

References
Revenge of the Red Raiders page 69, 70-74, 199, 122, 199, 135, 150, 489. 499-500, 514, 565

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

B-26

Crashed Bomber Found