Rodger Kelly
Travels in Papua New Guinea
Skindiwai C-47
Recovered Cockpit Section of B-17E "Naughty But Nice" at
Kokopo Museum
Zero at Coastwatchers Point |
I was in PNG between Dec '85 and Dec '87 and was based at Mendi,
the capital of the Southern Highlands. I was in the Australian
Army at the time and was posted to 12 Chief Engineer Works. Basically,
we were the running the civil enginneering works for the Southern
Highlands Department of Works. We were responsible for all government
vertical and horizontal construction throughout the Province.
Our tasks were many and varied and included the construction of
schools, health centres and roads, bridges etc.
I have always been fascinated by WWII aviation and I remember
seeing an old magazine in the late 60's (Life, or Look) about
wartime aircraft wrecks in PNG and the islands. This magazine
picqued my interest and I have been hooked ever since!
As I said in my previous e-mail, I'd be interested in contributing.
Please send my a skeleton of what you want covered and I will
flesh it out and forward it to you along with scans of any of
my pics.
A6M5 Zero roughly restored was placed on a pole at
Coastwatchers Memorial Lookout. At one
stage, it fell off its perch and was then trucked
back into town, where it was placed in the yard of the Rabaul
Technical College, a fellow by the name of Michael Pearson being
responsible for it. Michael recovered a lot of stuff
from the wrecks in the harbour if my memory serves me correctly.
I last saw it in the Tech. College
about 1985, or earlier.
Between Wau and ? three C-47s are in that area. But I have copies
of 99% of all missing aircraft, and I do not recall a C-47 with
so many nurses on board. If true, it would have ben quite highlighted. |
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