By Rachel Hagan
A downed World War Two plane has been discovered in the South Pacific - 80 years after it went missing.
The SBD Dauntless was found last month in the Papua New Guinean jungle by locals who had been told tales of a crash for generations. US authorities confirmed they know about the wreck and are working to get a team of investigators to the site.
The Dauntless went down on January 14, 1944, with pilot Lt. Billy Ray Ramsey and gunner Sgt. Charlie J. Sciara inside, according to information online. Both men were officially declared dead within the following year but remain missing in action. Locals say a skull was found with the wreck on the island of New Ireland, but no identity has been confirmed.
Pictures from the site show the engine and propeller and shrapnel from the downed plane littered across the jungle floor. Local Kilala Kindau, who led the team that made the find, said: "The plane crashed and broke into three pieces, leaving the pilot trapped inside and unable to escape. Early January we went up to the jungle and were trying to search for the plane.
“The story was told by some of our grandparents and passed on to us that there was a plane crash on the mountain part of the jungle, but they did not know where exactly it crashed. From late December to early January, we searched for the plane. We searched for the serial number and sent it to the US embassy who confirmed it was a US plane and belonged to [Lt. Ramsey].”
It is believed Sgt. Sciara survived the crash and was taken prisoner by Japanese forces at Tunnel Hill POW Camp, before passing away on February 22, 1944. Lt. Ramsey is thought to have died in the crash. Information from the U.S. Navy Loss List Summary Sheet suggests the Dauntless was downed in a divebombing mission against Japanese forces in the South Pacific arena.
It is believed the plane had its tail shot off by anti-aircraft fire and was last seen over Saint Georges Channel. The plane was made by Douglas Aircraft Company, which was ultimately enveloped into Boeing, and assigned to the US Marine Corps. The serial number on the wreck - 35971 - matches up to the information available online. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) - part of the US Department of Defense - recovers American military personnel who are prisoners of war or missing in action.
A spokesperson said: “DPAA has received multiple reports that wreckage potentially associated with missing personnel was recently discovered on New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. We are working to get a team of investigators to the site as soon as we can. As the agency responsible for recovering the remains of Americans missing from past conflicts, DPAA is committed to pursuing this lead.”
