Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

"Errol Jorgensen is packing his bags for New Guinea as he prepares to bury his brother for a second time. Just after the end of World War II, his 20-year-old brother Trevor, who was badly wounded in the landing of Balikpapan at Borneo, was transferred from the Morotai hospital to a waiting RAAF plane. He was going home, but he never made it. He was one of 10 Queenslanders on board the Dakota A65-61 that crashed into the Carstenz Ranges in Papua, killing all on board. Mystery surrounded the ill-fated flight until an American missionary sighted the wreckage in 1967. Hindered by an altitude of 14,200 feet (4328m) the Air Force attempted a limited recovery and in 1971, 25 years after the crash, held a formal military funeral for the crash victims at the Port Moresby Cemetery. Now in 2005, 60 years after the crash, another formal military funeral is to be held on August 10. The Air Force has now recovered more human remains from the wreckage. It's also taken all these years to prove there was a 29th passenger on board — Lieutenant Alun Jones, who hitched a ride on the plane at the last minute.  He, too, will now be buried. Mr Jorgensen admits he feels a bit apprehensive about going to Port Moresby for the service.

"I reckon they've had one commemoration service, they should of left it at that," he said. Either that he says or the plane should have been left undisturbed as their last resting place. Wing Commander Rowley Tompsett says the situation has changed. PT Freeport Indonesia is now operating one of the world's largest copper mines just 10km southeast of the crash site. "Once it was made known to us that there were still remains on the crash site and that crash site was accessible to members of the public, then it was rather difficult to leave them there because that's not treating them with the respect they deserve." 

Quietly, Mr Jorgensen begins telling of his own brush with death during the war. He was part of the 25th Battalion that stopped the Japanese advance in the historic battle of Milne Bay. Twice he was classed as missing believed killed. The first time was the first night of the 10-day battle when his company was cut off and surrounded by the Japanese.

"That's when the shooting started and that's when we grew from a boy to a man in five minutes," he said.

The second time came several nights later, when Mr Jorgensen was one of three men covering the company's withdrawal. When they went to follow, a wrong turn in the darkness put them in the middle of a minefield where they were shot at from all directions. He looks back on the battle with pride.

"Gallipoli made Australia. Coral Sea battle and Milne Bay battle saved Australia," he said. "Later on they sent us to Bougainville. The 25th Battalion took the brunt of it there too."

During the four-day battle of Slater's Knoll a wounded Lance Corporal Jorgensen took over a Bren gun and stopped the enemy's last bayonet charge only a few yards in front of his position. For his many acts of bravery during the Easter 1945 battle he was awarded a Military Medal and promoted in the field to sergeant." - SOURCE (www.couriermail.com.au)