WWII Pilot's Skeleton Found on Kokoda Track

[David Layne]

Australian, US and Japanese authorities are investigating the discovery of what is thought to be the skeleton of a World War II pilot along the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea.

Hikers say they discovered the skeleton hanging from the jungle canopy halfway along the 96-kilometre historic World War II path.

Guide David Collins from Melbourne's No-Roads trekking company was there.

"It's swinging like somebody caught in a tree and that's when you can really see the cabling and it's the exact shape of a body, same size, everything, but it's just covered in moss," he said.

"It's exactly what it looks like, just somebody caught in a harness, in a seat harness."

Australian, US and Japanese authorities will check records to see if any pilots were reported missing in that area.


'Lost in the fog'

Mr Collins said a lot of planes went missing during the war in the general area where the skeleton was found.

"All of them were generally lost in the fog and bang they go in," he said.

Among those that flew in the area at the time were the Royal Australian Air Force's 75 and 76 Squadrons, which flew P-40 Kitthawk fighters.

American B-25 Mitchell bombers were also in the area at the time along with P-39 Airacobra fighters.

"There were a lot of aircraft lost up there during the war and a lot of Japanese aircraft as well," Mr Collins said.

Mr Collins described the location of the skeleton as being on the right side of the track heading north from Myola, about four days walk in from the Port Moresby end of the track.

He said the the tree with the skeleton had been marked with plastic to help future investigators find it again.

The remoteness of the site and the difficulties involving in locating and working with anything in the thick jungle canopy mean that it could be months before any identification of the skeleton is made.

[David Layne]

Another report.




A Kokoda Track guide hopes a family will finally be able to put a World War II veteran to rest after a Victorian police officer found what could be a skeleton ensnared in jungle canopy.

Melbourne-based tour operator David Collins said the police officer had stopped to take a photograph of the dense bush when he noticed something dangling from the trees about 15 metres above.

"The wind started blowing and it was obvious it was not part of the flora, it was something else and looked to be connected by a cable and it appears to be a human body," he said.

"It was very difficult to make out and I'm still questioning myself but I was quite convinced at the time and it does look like a body in an aluminium harness."

Mr Collins, from No-Roads Expeditions, said what he believed was a skeleton was covered in moss and camouflaged by the thick canopy.

"It was only when the wind blew and it began twisting and flying back and forth that it became apparent that it appeared to be a body," he said.

"What it looks like is a parachutist has come through the canopy and got caught and just stayed there in an upright position.

"It is completely covered in moss it is only because of the shape of it and the aluminium and cabling that makes it look like a body at all, other than that, it looks like branches of a tree and still may very well be."

The police officer has declined to speak about the discovery made about halfway along the historic 96-kilometre path, where 600 Australian troops died fighting Japanese forces.

Mr Collins said the tour group were walking along the highest stretch of the track, between Templeton's and 1900 crossing at the top of the Owen Stanley Range.

He said the Australian High Commission in Papua New Guinea has been notified and it is believed the Australian Defence Force Human Remains Recovery Team will investigate.

"It's a significant find, if it is what it appears to be, and will put some family's mind to rest to know what happened to their loved one," Mr Collins said.

Mr Collins said he believed a B25 had crashed during the war about 500m from where the possible remains were found.

"Aircraft crashed all over the area, it is near Lake Myola that was a staging ground for the Allies and also where the biscuit bombers dropped their supplies," he said.

"A lot of planes went into the ground."

He said if the find did turn out to be a skeleton it could also possibly the body of a Japanese serviceman.

United States and Japanese authorities in Papua New Guinea have been notified and along with Australian are checking records to see if any pilots were reported missing in that area.

About 25 local porters walking with the tour group told Mr Collins they had not previously heard of a body in the area.

"There is evidence of the war everywhere you walk, pieces of mortar bombs and bits of bullets everywhere on the track," Mr Collins said.

"There were a lot of bodies that weren't recovered because of the nature of the jungle which was some of the most hard-fought areas of the Second World War."

[Nostalgair]

Thanks for the post David.

I just heard of this on the radio. Amazing!

Regards,

Owen

[Ferhilt]

I just read those articles as well. Something new every day. I was just reading a day or two ago about the Kokoda Track too...

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by Ferhilt

I just read those articles as well. Something new every day. I was just reading a day or two ago about the Kokoda Track too...

You probably read it here Ferhilt !!

Kokoda trekker finds possilbe remains of airman in forest canopy

[Kyt]

I look forward to hearing confirmation of the report as the possibility of an entire skeleton holding together when suspended in the air is very remote - once the flesh and muscles are gone, there is nothing holding the bones together. . Even with clothing, it seems unlikely.

But as I said, shall await confirmation

[Ferhilt]

I dunno, the clothes would last a while and if the moss started covering it soon enough it could act like a living cocoon. Anyway we shall see.

You probably read it here Ferhilt !!

Kokoda trekker finds possilbe remains of airman in forest canopy

Google Alerts is very handy if you set it to watch WW2 and WW II, WWII, World War II etc

[liverpool annie]

Originally Posted by Ferhilt

I dunno, the clothes would last a while and if the moss started covering it soon enough it could act like a living cocoon. Anyway we shall see.



Google Alerts is very handy if you set it to watch WW2 and WW II, WWII, World War II etc

No ! I meant Antipodean Andy started a thread yesterday !!

And if you answer this Ferhilt ... you'll be at the magic number !!

may I be the first to congratulate you !

[Ferhilt]

POST

Ok there we go hehe.

I did read that one after I read this one, it was just higher on the Portal post list

Originally I saw the articles on my Google Alerts.

[Kyt]

Defence finds no airman on Kokoda Track - Breaking News - National - Breaking News

An Australian trekking party's hopes of having found remains of a World War II airman hanging from a tree on the Kokoda Track have been dashed - in fact they discovered a moss-covered branch.

Australian Defence Force staff from the Australian High Commission in Port Moresby reached the isolated site in Papua New Guinea to check on the sighting, but found no human remains.

"While the location near Kagi is below a flight path that was commonly used by allied aircraft during WWII sorties, the find has been confirmed by ADF staff as a moss-covered branch," Defence said in a statement.

"It appears the branch has broken off the main tree and fallen across some vines which, from the ground, could have been confused with the body of an airman."

The find last month - by a Victorian police officer who was photographing flowers - had sparked hope of closure for a family somewhere in Australia, Japan or the United States.

Guide David Collins, from the Australian company No Roads Expeditions, was leading a trek when the suspected human remains were discovered.

"We had a few police officers on the 19-man trek. One was taking photos with a large lens of the trees and flowers," he said last week.

"He then discovered what looks like the remains of a body.

"I couldn't make it out at first. It wasn't until the wind blew that you could really see it is in a harness. There are goggles and it appears to be caught up in cables, so presumably it is an airman."

Mr Collins said the supposed remains were found in the jungle canopy at the top of the Owen Stanley Range, almost halfway along the 96km track.