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US bomber taken from Oro swamp

SWAMP GHOST, an American war plane that crashed into the swamps of Oro Province during World War II is about to be shipped out to the United States of America. The WWII bomber, a B17E plane is reportedly to be restored in the United States. The plane has been shifted from a swamp in Oro Province to Lae and is expected to be shipped to the USA soon. The National Museum authorities said a Fred Hagen from the US and a Robert Greinert from Australia, have been allowed to have the plane salvaged and restored in the United States at a cost of thousands of US dollars. It is believed the war relic, if sold could be worth over a million US dollars. National Museum acting director Simon Poraituk said in a letter last month that the National Museum and Art Gallery board of trustees have made a decision to let Mr Hagen salvage and restore the plane. The board was empowered by the National Museum and Art Gallery Act of 1992 to make decisions on war surplus materials that were protected by the war surplus material act (1952), he said then. The plane had remained fully intact for the last 64 years in Karaisa village of Oro Province. However, Karisa leaders Jerry Yogoni, Gilbert Yogoni, Gutari Yogoni, Colin Tom and the chairman of the Beach Head Battlefields Tourism Committee in Popondetta Joachim Olai do not want the plane to be salvaged, removed or damaged. They all agreed that the plane should be left where it was because it was “priceless” and that it could be used to attract tourist.

Black Cat B-17 will stay where it is for the forseeable future at least

Swamp Ghost resurfaces after 64 years

By PHILIP DOWA and YEHIURA HRIEHWAZI
A GROUP of Americans have salvaged a World War II Boeing 17 Flying Fortress from the swamps of Northern province and are preparing to ship it to the United States via Lae.
The Swamp Ghost had been sitting in the Aigiambo Lake for 64 years after it was shot down by the Japanese in 1942.
Yesterday, the Americans, with some local hired hands, were busy dismantling parts at the Lae wharf to be put into containers for shipment.
However, late yesterday, a staff of the PNG National Museum and Art Gallery told The National that the permanent parliamentary Public Accounts Committee had last Friday queried and ordered that the entire salvage operation be abandoned.
When asked, the Americans said they have acquired written permission from the museum to move the aircraft.
A Lae-based Customs official also visited the Swamp Ghost yesterday and, when shown a clearance letter from the national museum, said he could not do much.
Salvaging the Swamp Ghost had cost US$350,000 (K1,054,000) for it to be lifted out of the Aigiambo Lake in its entirety, shipped to the Bismark Marine wharf in Lae where its wings and four engines were dismantled along with two large machine guns to be packed into containers.
Engineer supervising the project Joe Krzeminski said the Swamp Ghost was shot down in 1942 after carrying out a raid on Rabaul and was heading back to Townsville, Australia, where it was based.
Mr Krezeminski said all the nine crew members survived the crash and were aided back to Port Moresby across the Kokoda Trail.
The final resting place for the Swamp Ghost would be at a museum at Longbeach in California, United States.
The aircraft has a wing span of 105 feet with four 1,200 horse-powered engines and can fly to about 35,000 feet above the sea level.
It can carry up to 65,000 pounds of bomb and fuel and can do 1,400 miles in an hour.
Mr Krezeminski said the project is sponsored by four Americans - Fred Hagen, Billy Hansfield, Paul Adams and Robert Reinhartz.