1944 CRASH OF A C-47 DAKOTA

7 SEPTEMBER 1944 CRASH OF A C-47 DAKOTA NEAR MOSSMAN

RAAF DC-3 Dakota similar to the Dutch Aircraft

C47 Dakota

A Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force C-47 Dakota DT-941 (VH-RDK) with 20 persons on board, crashed near Mossman on Thursday 7 September 1944. It was on a flight from Merauke to Cairns. It left Merauke on 6 September 1944. There were no survivors. The crashed aircraft was not located until many years later in January 1989.

Those killed were:-

CREW 1st Lt. H.J.H. Daanen (Captain), Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. Sgt W.A. Torn (Co-pilot), #96774, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. Sgt E. Kerdijk (W-ops), #71322, 22. Plot A Row E Joint Grave 1. Sgt J.F. Damwijk (Eng), #96914, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1.

120 SQUADRON NEI-AF FIGHTER PILOTS 1st Lt. R.T.H. Braakensiek, #134821, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. id. H.P. Levy, #8767, Plot A Row E Joint Grave 1. id. B. van Aken, #13620, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. id. O. Leyding, #105120, 24 yrs. Plot A Row E Joint Grave 1. id. R.J. Salm, #51722, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. id. J.S. Zwart, 20 yrs. Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. Sgt A.C. Scholte, #36520, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. Sgt M. Boogerman, #90510, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. ? M J Straub, #8872, Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1.

All the above were on their way to Australia for some R&R.

OTHER SERVICE PERSONNEL Sqn/Ldr Leslie Roy “Smokey” Dawson (RAAF), #260968, 40yrs Lt. Horace William Hammond Armstrong, WX10534, 32yrs, AIF, 157 Gen. Ypt. Coy., Australian Army Service Corps. 2nd. Lt. J.R.L. Lebeu (NEI intell), #818, 39yrs, Plot A Row E Joint Grave 1. 2nd. Lt. R.E.J. Boereboom (NEI Intell), #13620, 29. Plot A Row E Coll Grave 1. 2nd Lt. S. Jacob (Reserve ), Plot A Row E Grave 1. Mevr Waas (female), Plot A Row E Grave 1. Mevr Wakemaw (female), Plot A Row E Grave 1.

The deceased passengers and crew were buried at the War Cemetery at Cairns.

Marking the 70th anniversary of this tragic event the Townsville and Cairns RAAF Associations will be hosting a grave site memorial service at the Cairns Martyn Street Cemetery on the 07th September 2014 commencing at 1000hrs.

____________________________________________________________________