On 2 November 1942 a 22nd BG nine-aircraft formation ventured so far
from Port Moresby searching for Japanese ships heading for Lae that
their Marauders ran low on fuel.
When they were returned to Port Moresby, 1/Lt Graham Gammon made a
controlled, out-of-gas, landing alongside Laloki airstrip, and the end
result is seen here. The landing came at the end of a 4 hour 23 minute
flight searching for, but not finding, the enemy ships heading for Lae.
Gammon would recall, "Coming in on the base leg, the right engine
exhausted its fuel and, turning into the final leg, the left engine
ran out. The runway was very busy with two B26s rolling on it and a
third fast approaching touchdown. There would be no room, even if the
runway could be reached. I pulled wheels up, unsuccessfully tried to
salvo six 500-lb bombs, and set a 160-mph glide for the clearing along
the south side of the airstrip. Going through some trees just before
flaring out for touchdown, the left engine was torn out and the fuselage
twisted. The landing was a success, even though the ship was junked.
There was no fire, the bombs did not go off, and no one was killed".
Gammon was knocked unconscious however. He was carted off to a field
hospital to recover whilst RAAF crewman Douglas Dargie would have severe
back problems later, but the ship had served its crew well.
Gammon's B26 crew from 1 June to 2 November 1942 consisted of Pilot/Sgt.
Douglas Dargie, RAAF, co-pilot 2/Lt. Robert. B. Linsley, S/Sgt. Michael
J. Bauman, Sgt. James Malone, Sgt. Hubert E. Newell, Cpl. Murphy Smiraldo,
and crew chief Vernon B. Hart.
