1945 New Guinea Gremlin Special rescue

Plane crash rescue operation in New Guinea March 2024 Accident C-47A Gremlin Special crash May 13, 1945 Controlled flight into terrain in downdraftUSAAF Douglas C-47A-35-DL 42-23952 Accident description https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450513-6 Aviation-safety.net Flight Safety Foundation 26 March 2024 Uwambo, Pass Valley, Yalimo Regency, northern Baliem Valley 22 3 Douglas C-47 Skytrain United States Army Air Corps 42-23952 Gremlin Special 19 5 3 Jayapura Baliem Valley ("Shangri-La Valley") The Gremlin Special was a Douglas C-47 Skytrain that crashed during a sightseeing flight over the Baliem Valley (also known as Shangri-La Valley) in New Guinea in the eastern part of the Netherlands Indies 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 Lost in Shangri-La by author Mitchell Zuckoff.C-47A-35-DL "Gremlin Special/Guinea Gopher" Serial Number 42-23952 http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/c-47/42-23952.html September 2, 2011 Accident On Sunday, May 13, 1945, Col. Peter J. Prossen, maintenance chief of the USAAF’s Far East Air Service Command in Hollandia (now Jayapura, Papua, New Guinea) arranged a sightseeing flight southward over the New Guinea interior for a group of personnel.This 1945 New Guinea Plane Crash Survivor Became Known As The ‘Queen of Shangri-La’ The Gremlin Special flew into the side of a mountain. Five passengers survived the initial wreck with two, Sergeant Laura Besley and Private Eleanor Hanna, succumbing to injuries the next day.Zuckoff Mitchell Lost In Shangri-La 2011 HarperCollins 978-0061988349 The survivors were Corporal Margaret Hastings, Sergeant Kenneth Decker and Lieutenant John McCollom.The Sydney Morning Herald GLIDER RESCUE FROM NEW GUINEA SHANGRI July 2, 1945 The Baliem Valley was previously explored in 1938 by Richard Archbold, flying in a PBY-2. Although the press believed the survivors of the Gremlin Special crash to be the first outsiders to encounter the Yali and Dani who inhabited the area, Archbold had sent two exploration teams into the valley in 1938. Rescue right|thumb|Examples of C-47s with Waco CG-4 gliders in England Search aircraft were dispatched when the Gremlin Special never returned. Three survivors were spotted on the ground during an air search on May 17.The Mercury ORDEAL OF PLANE CRASH SURVIVORS July 2, 1945 Two medical paratroopers were deployed to the site, followed by 10 other support troops. A journalist, Alexander Cann, was dropped into the site to document the rescue attempt, and the interactions with the native people. On May 26, two paratrooper medics from the U.S. Army’s 1st Filipino Regiment parachuted near the crash site to care for the survivors before leading them on a 10-mile trek down the mountain. Another eight paratroopers jumped in to establish a base camp in the valley.This 1945 New Guinea Plane Crash Survivor Became Known As The ‘Queen of Shangri-La’ On June 28, the survivors and two paratrooper medics were recovered using Waco CG-4 gliders towed by a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Three separate rescues were performed by towing a glider with single pilot into the valley. The glider was then loaded and configured for a live capture by the tow plane which recovered the survivors, towing them back to a base in Hollandia.This 1945 New Guinea Plane Crash Survivor Became Known As The ‘Queen of Shangri-La’ Aircraft The "Gremlin Special" was a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. 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 rescues. References External links Alexander Cann's video of the rescue Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1945 Category:History of New Guinea Category:1945 in Oceania Category:1945 in Indonesia Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Indonesia Category:1945 disasters in Indonesia