Aircraft History
Constructors Number 4643. Assigned to the USAAF on August 24, 1942. Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 374th Troop Carrier Group on October 9, 1942. Nicknamed "The Broadway Limited". Tail Code VH-CFM. Officially written off on October 31, 1944.

Mission History
Took off from 5-Mile Drome (Wards Drome) at 10:50am near Port Moresby with two other aircraft: C-47 41-18498 (VH-CFB) and C-47 41-18568 (VH-CFE). Their mission was to drop supplies to US Army 32nd Infantry Division, 126th Infantry Regiment crossing the Owen Stanley Mountains along the Kapa Kapa Trail, near Bofu.

The passengers were members of the 126th Infantry Regiment, and Col Quinn was the Commanding Officer of the 126th.

G. L. Thoman adds:
"The primary reason Col. Quinn was on the fatal air drop flight was that he was curious about how the air drops would work with parachutes. My father Capt. Kenneth R. Thoman was the supply officer of the 126th and had been flying on the air drops. They crammed in as many drops as daylight would permit. On a signal from the co-pilot my father and three of his men would push the cargo out of the door. Hoping it would hit the drop zone and still be usable without parachutes. On the first day they used cargo chutes my dad and his men had the C-47 loaded. Col. Quinn drove up to the plane and told Capt. Thoman to stay back and he would handle the drop. The Col. wanted to see how the new chutes would work. On the first pass the chute opened inside the aircraft and fouled the elevators. The whole crew was lost. It was curiosity that cost the Colonel his life and saved my fathers."

During the drop, one of the cargo parachutes became tangled in the tail assembly of the plane, causing it to crash into a hillside, killing everyone aboard. 2nd Lt Earl B. Lattier (pilot of C-47 41-18568) reported that 41-38615, after making one run dropping stores on Bofu crashed into a hillside.

Wreckage
The wreckage was found the day of the crash by members of the 126th Infantry Regiment at Natunga. Eight bodies were found in the wreckage. A supply parachute fouling the tail plane is believed to have caused the crash.

The Ghost Mountain Boys, page 151 adds:
"Upon arriving at Natunga, Lutjens noted that the salvage team pulled out 'mashed bodies' with one hand and enjoyed undamaged fruitcake it had found among the wreckage with the other."

Recovery of Remains
Chaplin Father Stephen Dzienis performed burial services for the dead crew at the crash site. A memorial service was also held for Quinn in Port Moresby on November 8th by the 126th Infantry Regiment.

Postwar, the remains of Harold B. Majure (Plot N Row 3 Grave 153), Clifford D. Stephens (Plot N Row 4 Grave 88) and Stanley C Davis (Plot D Row 13 Grave 128) are buried at Manila American Cemetery. Sgt Douglas Croot is buried at Bomana War Cemetery.

References
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for additional information
Casualty File 80350 Frame 1354 lists SN as 41-18615 incorrect
Advance to Buna Part 2 - Reference to Col Quinn
The Ghost Mountain Boys page 148 - 151

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

C-47

Aprox
8° 58' 0S 148° 16' 60E