Knowledge (XXG)

1945 New Guinea Gremlin Special rescue

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Search aircraft were dispatched when the Gremlin Special never returned. Three survivors were spotted on the ground during an air search on May 17. Two medical paratroopers were deployed to the site, followed by 10 other support troops. A journalist,
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The Gremlin Special flew into the side of a mountain on May 13, 1945. Five passengers survived the initial wreck with two, Sergeant Laura Besley and Private Eleanor Hanna, succumbing to injuries the next day. The survivors were
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A Waco CG-4 was used in the rescue attempt. The first glider sustained damage from low flight over trees and a whipping parachute that was snagged on takeoff. A second CG-4 was used for the remaining two
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in 1945. The recovery of the three survivors from an isolated valley surrounded by mountains, enemy troops, and native inhabitants made worldwide news at the time and is the subject of the 2011 book
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who inhabited the area, Archbold had sent two exploration teams into the valley in 1938.
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Margaret Hastings, Sergeant Kenneth Decker and Lieutenant John McCollom.
222: 358:"C-47A-35-DL "Gremlin Special/Guinea Gopher" Serial Number 42-23952" 251: 441: 280:
which recovered the survivors, towing them back to a base in
332:"USAAF Douglas C-47A-35-DL 42-23952 | Accident description" 228:
The Baliem Valley was previously explored in 1938 by
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Aviation accidents and incidents in Papua New Guinea
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Examples of C-47s with Waco CG-4 gliders in England
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Flight Safety Foundation 658: 485: 408:The Sydney Morning Herald 701:1945 in Papua New Guinea 639:Broadway Liberator crash 198:in the eastern part of 257: 691:History of New Guinea 295:Douglas C-47 Skytrain 274:Douglas C-47 Skytrain 255: 188:Douglas C-47 Skytrain 89:Douglas C-47 Skytrain 57:Uwambo, Pass Valley ( 667:►   1946 661:1944   ◄ 336:Aviation-safety.net 272:gliders towed by a 23: 664:    616:Beiping C-46 crash 596:Elvetham air crash 383:Lost In Shangri-La 258: 205:Lost in Shangri-La 200:Netherlands Indies 95:Aircraft name 85:Aircraft type 673: 672: 385:. HarperCollins. 180: 179: 718: 665: 627:Honolulu Clipper 480: 479: 477: 462: 455: 448: 439: 427: 426: 418: 412: 411: 403: 397: 396: 378: 369: 368: 366: 364: 354: 348: 347: 345: 343: 328: 230:Richard Archbold 210:Mitchell Zuckoff 67: 24: 726: 725: 721: 720: 719: 717: 716: 715: 696:1945 in Oceania 676: 675: 674: 669: 663: 654: 653: 652: 651: 646: 642: 641: 636: 632: 631: 623: 619: 618: 613: 609: 608: 603: 599: 598: 593: 589: 588: 583: 579: 578: 573: 569: 568: 563: 559: 558: 553: 549: 548: 543: 539: 538: 533: 529: 528: 526:Avro York crash 523: 519: 518: 513: 509: 508: 503: 499: 498: 491: 481: 475: 473: 468: 466: 436: 431: 430: 425:. July 2, 1945. 420: 419: 415: 410:. July 2, 1945. 405: 404: 400: 393: 380: 379: 372: 362: 360: 356: 355: 351: 341: 339: 330: 329: 325: 320: 308: 290: 250: 218: 184:Gremlin Special 98:Gremlin Special 61: 17: 12: 11: 5: 724: 722: 714: 713: 708: 703: 698: 693: 688: 678: 677: 671: 670: 659: 656: 655: 647: 644: 643: 637: 634: 633: 629:forced landing 624: 621: 620: 614: 611: 610: 604: 601: 600: 594: 591: 590: 584: 581: 580: 574: 571: 570: 564: 561: 560: 554: 551: 550: 544: 541: 540: 534: 531: 530: 524: 521: 520: 514: 511: 510: 504: 501: 500: 492: 489: 488: 487: 486: 483: 482: 467: 465: 464: 457: 450: 442: 435: 432: 429: 428: 413: 398: 392:978-0061988349 391: 370: 349: 322: 321: 319: 316: 315: 314: 307: 306:External links 304: 303: 302: 298: 289: 286: 263:Alexander Cann 249: 246: 232:, flying in a 217: 214: 178: 177: 174: 170: 169: 166: 162: 161: 158: 154: 153: 150: 146: 145: 142: 138: 137: 134: 130: 129: 124: 120: 119: 116: 110: 109: 104: 100: 99: 96: 92: 91: 86: 82: 81: 77: 76: 70:Yalimo Regency 55: 51: 50: 41: 37: 36: 33: 29: 28: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 723: 712: 709: 707: 704: 702: 699: 697: 694: 692: 689: 687: 684: 683: 681: 668: 662: 657: 650: 640: 630: 628: 617: 607: 597: 587: 577: 567: 557: 547: 537: 527: 517: 507: 497: 496: 495:China Clipper 484: 471: 463: 458: 456: 451: 449: 444: 443: 440: 433: 424: 417: 414: 409: 402: 399: 394: 388: 384: 377: 375: 371: 359: 353: 350: 337: 333: 327: 324: 317: 313: 310: 309: 305: 299: 296: 292: 291: 287: 285: 283: 279: 275: 271: 266: 264: 254: 247: 245: 243: 239: 235: 231: 226: 224: 215: 213: 211: 207: 206: 201: 197: 193: 192:Baliem Valley 189: 185: 175: 171: 167: 163: 159: 155: 151: 147: 143: 139: 135: 131: 128: 125: 123:Flight origin 121: 117: 115: 111: 108: 105: 101: 97: 93: 90: 87: 83: 78: 75: 74:Baliem Valley 71: 65: 60: 56: 52: 49: 45: 42: 38: 34: 30: 25: 19: 626: 493: 434:Bibliography 422: 416: 407: 401: 382: 363:September 2, 361:. Retrieved 352: 340:. Retrieved 335: 326: 267: 259: 227: 219: 203: 183: 181: 114:Registration 35:May 13, 1945 18: 423:The Mercury 133:Destination 72:, northern 62: [ 680:Categories 318:References 208:by author 196:New Guinea 157:Fatalities 141:Passengers 649:Flight 19 342:March 26, 282:Hollandia 270:Waco CG-4 173:Survivors 48:downdraft 301:rescues. 288:Aircraft 223:Corporal 216:Accident 165:Injuries 127:Jayapura 118:42-23952 103:Operator 80:Aircraft 27:Accident 474: ( 472:in 1945 59:Abenaho 40:Summary 635:Nov 22 612:Oct 12 582:Jul 28 572:Jul 12 562:Apr 23 552:Mar 27 532:Feb 23 512:Jan 31 502:Jan 10 389:  248:Rescue 186:was a 645:Dec 6 622:Nov 3 602:Oct 5 592:Oct 5 542:Mar 5 522:Feb 1 490:Jan 8 234:PBY-2 66:] 476:1945 387:ISBN 365:2011 344:2024 242:Dani 240:and 238:Yali 182:The 149:Crew 54:Site 32:Date 68:), 46:in 682:: 373:^ 334:. 284:. 212:. 160:22 144:19 64:id 478:) 461:e 454:t 447:v 395:. 367:. 346:. 297:. 176:3 168:3 152:5

Index

Controlled flight into terrain
downdraft
Abenaho
id
Yalimo Regency
Baliem Valley
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
United States Army Air Corps
Registration
Jayapura
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Baliem Valley
New Guinea
Netherlands Indies
Lost in Shangri-La
Mitchell Zuckoff
Corporal
Richard Archbold
PBY-2
Yali
Dani

Alexander Cann
Waco CG-4
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
live capture by the tow plane
Hollandia
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
Alexander Cann's video of the rescue
"USAAF Douglas C-47A-35-DL 42-23952 | Accident description"

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