Essendon
08-27-2008, 10:49 PM
Supposed WWII skeleton found dangling above Kokoda Track
By PNG correspondent Steve Marshall
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 furture 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.
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200808/r286644_1222393.jpg
Found: The skeleton of what is thought to be a World War II pilot hangs in the jungle canopy along the Kokoda Track (No-Roads trekking company)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/28/2348489.htm
Well I hope when I die it doesn't take 63 years for someone to find me :p
By PNG correspondent Steve Marshall
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 furture 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.
http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200808/r286644_1222393.jpg
Found: The skeleton of what is thought to be a World War II pilot hangs in the jungle canopy along the Kokoda Track (No-Roads trekking company)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/28/2348489.htm
Well I hope when I die it doesn't take 63 years for someone to find me :p