The B25 crew scrambled out as soon as the bomber slid to a stop following the near perfect wheels-up crash landing in the wet swampy reeds of Japanese held New Guinea.  All five, three officers and two enlisted, of the excited, scared crew were quick to exit onto the wing. Mission reports of fellow pilots said all of the crew “appeared to be uninjured.” They must have waived to some of their fellow squadron aircraft that had stayed with them following their failure to hold altitude from only about 7,000 feet. After dropping some supplies and noting the position, their mates headed for home low on fuel.

Things had started to go badly just after the B25 formation made a mid-level, daytime run on a Japanese position. The formation encountered “heavy and medium anti-aircraft fire.”  After the run, the crew signaled no communication to their adjacent flyers and soon broke formation and crash landed with apparent knowledge their bomber could not make it back. Unfortunately, they were right.  Unlike bombers in Europe, they had the “luxury” of other aircraft that could stay with them.  They also knew that going down on land, Japanese held turf, was worse than to ditch in the water or along the coast. They were only a few miles from the coast.

Friendly aircraft returned to the downed crew for the next few days to drop supplies and confirm they were still located near the downed bomber. After three days, instructions were dropped to them to move to a small native village to link-up with an Australian patrol. It never happened. 

The story gets fuzzy after that planned meeting.  Post war efforts and records are neither consolidated nor complete.  It is likely that Australians in occupied New Guinea, who were heroic and covert Coast Watchers, but who were not much on record keeping, were involved in the village meeting effort. One report indicates that natives said three of the crew were captured and executed.  (Japanese had executed other crews, but often interrogated pilot and copilot.)  Records on captured Japanese Army officers, interviewed after the U.S. invasion, indicated they were holding differing numbers of American POW’s.  In one report the numbers of POW airmen are 3 and 2 at differing locations – with no explanation. The known American POW holding pen lacks any POW disposition detail. Later, some surviving Japanese officers were charged with war crimes, while others were not cooperative in interviews.

More than 60 years have passed since that bombing mission – and the mystery remains unsolved. Fellow veterans continue to wonder what really happened. There are, no doubt, politically “sensitive” records including the interrogation of Japanese prisoners of those captured following the US retaking of the area. Of course, there is the usual government diversity – records here and there in this category or that one. It is interesting to note that despite the thousands of MIA’s and despite today’s technology from DNA to satellite capabilities – only a few are located and identified. Even then, it is often a result of pure happenstance of site discoveries – then getting service member identification. The aircraft location and identification have recently been confirmed by DoD, but more specific information is needed to justify a site search. We may have added information to develop evidence that would support the decision for a more detailed search for graves by DoD.

I am strongly encouraged this search and a return adventure may result in a full search by DoD for a number of reasons.  Here are some of them.

The remains of pilot, CWO Randy Ard, were just returned from Laos/VN operation Lam Som 719 to right here at Redstone Arsenal, AL, after 34 years of missing in action.  Despite the difference in wars, there are many similar circumstances.

Natives of Papua New Guinea speak hundreds of differing languages, and most have verbal accounts that become tribal story traditions. It is not unrealistic to discover a part of this story may be in a verbal tribal history.

I have contacts in Papua New Guinea from prior adventures that might be helpful.  Some contacts were established during my time spent as logistics coordinator for a National Science Foundation/USC research adventure following the deadly 1998 tsunami on the north coast of Papua New Guinea.

The P38 I located for a relative on a prior search …wasn’t really lost – the local natives in the bush knew where it was – it was just very difficult to get to the natives, then to the aircraft.

We have information that needs to be checked on the ground.      

We intend to take a serious look, despite the remote and wild location accessible by copter, perhaps on foot.   

The dates for this Adventure, the serious search for evidence of the B25 MIA crew, are not yet established.

If you have interest in this adventure – contact Go Remote, Inc. Adventures …Not Vacations   Adventure@GoRemote.net