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On March 20 1942 a plane crash-landed on the coast north of Kununurra, close to the NT Border. In this 60th Anniversary year marking the end of World War II, the Kununurra Historical Society - Archive and Museum will present a new display, 'Wirraway - Challenge', which will be officially opened at 2pm on March 20 - the anniversary of the crash landing. The general public of the Kimberley are welcome to attend. Lew Dwyer, the pilot who force landed Wirraway A20-62, will fly in from Queensland for the event. The RAAF 12 Squadron Wirraway, safely force landed on salt marsh after engine failure over the Joseph Bonaparte Gulf. Flight Sergeants Lew Dwyer and Warwick Carmody began a challenge of survival, after walking away from the aircraft, which was left deteriorating on the tidal salt marsh for 62 years. In October 2004, members of the Kununurra Historical Society retrieved the last pieces remaining relatively intact, the cockpit canopy frames and some other components of the aircraft for this display. Much has been happening since October. The pilot and observer have been located and interviewed. Many people, all over Australia, have provided background information, measurements and assistance. This will be integrated into a permanent display in the Kununurra Historical Society, Archive-Museum building. The story of survival of the airmen has a strong local aspect, after they were assisted from Carlton Hill Station by Charlie Pretlove, manager of Legune Station and four aboriginal stockmen, who are all key players in the rescue of the airmen. Aboriginal people are being warned that the display contains images and information of deceased Aboriginal people. The crash was at a time when the most serious Japanese attacks on mainland Australia were taking place. |
By January 1942 the Japanese had captured Rabaul and Australia was busily preparing defences in the North as the Japanese enemy pushed throughout Asia and ever closer to her shores. The Drysdale River Mission airstrip upgrade, Australian authorities had requested to be carried out by the mission workers, was now considered complete. An aircraft arrived there on January 25 with radio equipment for Darwin to be in contact with their new staging post, which was soon to become extremely busy. On February 4, 1942 Darwin advised Drysdale airstrip guards to obstacle the runway, saying it is not to be used because of continuing rain. The wet season had set in that week which also meant intermittent radio contact because of atmospheric conditions. On the morning of February 19 Darwin received the mission's first transmission of the day but they failed to receive any other they tried to send. This puzzled the missionaries, who were unaware that the most devastating attack in Australia's history had begun at 10am that morning on Darwin. None of 12 Squadron's aircraft were destroyed. A second raid of 54 bombers was launched two hours later on the same day, preceding a period of prolonged attacks that would total 64 air raids on Darwin, up to November 12th 1943. The same day as the Darwin air raid, Timor was invaded by the Japanese, to prevent Australian reinforcements reaching Singapore. The following day, on February 20 three Japanese planes headed straight toward the MV Koolama at low altitude, unleashing three direct hits, which severely damaged the ship's stern. The Koolama was taking water, and being about 40 kilometres offshore from the Kimberley coast, her Captain turned towards land, eventually beaching the ship near Cape Rulhiers. On March 1 a plane landed at Drysdale that arrived via Vansittart Bay and had seen the crashed aircraft but no sign of survivors.
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After some repairs the Koolama left Cape Rulhiers, nine days after the bombing, with a small compliment of men, leaving some people to await the mission lugger. The ship reached Wyndham, against all odds, on March 2, the same day Broome was bombed by the Japanese. In Wyndham they had begun unloading the Koolama and pumping water from her stern and had begun the repair job on the damaged hull. Wyndham came under attack by the Japanese on Wednesday March 3. During the attack the Koolama succumbed to the weight of water in her hulls and sank close to the wharf. Other accounts suggest she was also bombed in this raid, but all evidence suggests that it was the problem with power generation that sank her. Before dawn on Saturday March 6, four bombers arrived at Drysdale, the last one dropping from about 20 feet became a wreck as it landed, with no casualties. At 8am the other three bombers and the Wirraway that had brought the doctor, took off with the crew of the wrecked bomber. On March 20 a Wirraway A20-62 departed Darwin on a mission to salvage parts of a crashed Wirraway at Drysdale. It force landed near the NT/WA border, after engine failure over the Joseph Bonaparte gulf. The Commanding Officer of 12 Squadron, Brian (Blackjack) Walker, had abandoned his flight from Wyndham to ferry an army officer to Broome, after following in and watching Wirraway A20-62's forced landing. From Wyndham, the CO arranged to assist the aircrew of the Wirraway. In some ways the forced landing of A20-62 could have been fortunate for both aircraft, as they may well have come into contact with Japanese aircraft, on their way to bomb Broome and Derby that same day. For the crews of both aircraft the day's events may have been a blessing in disguise. As the crew of A20-62 walked across the salt marsh, Broome and Derby were attacked with Darwin and Katherine suffering air raids on March 22, Wyndham and Darwin being bombed again on March 23. |