Here lies Torpedo Junction, nosewheel collapsed, at the Australian
airfield of Grafton. The photo was taken on the early morning of 28th
August 1942, and the aircraft is being guarded by one Australian soldier.
When the 38th Bombardment Group deployed to Australia, they went via
many Pacific stops, including New Caledonia. On 13th August 1942 several
landed at Tontouta Airfield there, and despite attempts to persuade
them not to try to fly Australia that night, the possible lure of Brisbane's
nightlife was an attraction considered too good to miss, and so five
set off.
Unknown to the crews, two factors would make the flight highly questionable.
First, most of coastal Australia was blacked out due to wartime restrictions.
Second, and more dangerous, an unforecast strong northerly wind was
blowing just off New Caledonia. With no navigation aids, the Mitchells
had no way of checking their track, and in the early hours of the next
morning they crossed the Australian coast in the vicinity of Grafton,
hundreds of kilometres south of Brisbane, and in the Australian state
of New South Wales.
Torpedo Junction and Satan's Sister somehow managed to
find the airfield and land there, albeit with mishap, but the crews
of Werewolf, Bud and his Pogmasters and The Woodchopper
bailed out near the township of Casino, their three Mitchells completely
destroyed. One of the navigators, upon discovering that his parachute
had its cover torn, discarded it and strapped himself to co-pilot John
Donegan's chute with two trouser belts. When Donegan's chute deployed,
the navigator's weight tore the belts and he fell to his death.
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