Missing World War II Plane Found After 80 Years

By: Alex Trent | Last updated: May 30, 2024

A long-lost plane from World War Two has finally been found after being missing for 80 years. It was found wrecked in a jungle in Papua New Guinea back in February.

Officials from the US Department of Defense have been informed about the status of the wreck and are putting into motion steps to send investigators down to the crash site.

Where Was the Plane Found?

The Daily Mail reported locals near the crash site on the island of New Ireland found evidence of the plane’s body spread across the floor of the jungle.

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New Ireland highlighted on a map of Papua New Guinea.

Source: TUBS/Wikimedia

They found parts of the plane in separate pieces as well as wreckage from the engine and propeller.  Human remains were also discovered but they have not been properly identified.

Discovery of the Plane

Locals near a jungle in Papua New Guinea had reportedly known of the existence of the crash. Stories told for generations spoke about the plane crash but it wasn’t until now that the exact location was found.

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A mountain in Papau New Guinea.

Source: ColinF/Wikimedia

“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,” said local Kilala Kindau.

A Thorough Search

Kindau told the Daily Mail that his search group looked through the jungle in December and January before they were able to finally find the wreckage. They also found the serial number of the plane to confirm it came from America.

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Thick plants in a jungle.

Source: Perojevic/Wikimedia

“The plane was crashed and broke into three pieces, leaving the pilot trapped inside and unable to escape,” he said.

Black Panther Squadron

The plane was identified as a Douglas SBD Dauntless, a model that was used by the US Marines during World War Two for operations.

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A WWII Marine Bombing plane passing over an active volcano.

Source: Paul Dorsey/Wikimedia

The particular plane belonged to Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 236. Squadron 236 was nicknamed “Black Panthers” and operated in the South Pacific Theater during World War Two.

The History of the Black Panther Squadron

Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 236 was formed on January 1, 1943. Squadron 236 specialized in dive bombing operations and was created out of the Marine Corps Air Station Mojave located in California.

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Planes that are part of the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 236.

Source: Paul Dorsey/Wikimedia

In July of the same year, Squadron 236 underwent a series of training missions to practice dive bombing.

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The Plane That Was Found

The Douglas SBD Dauntless that was found had a serial number of 35971. It was manned by L. Billy Ray Ramsey and Sgt. Charlie J. Sciara when it went down.

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Planes from the Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 236 taking off in the early morning.

Source: Paul Dorsey/Wikimedia

SBD Dauntless 35971 was built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo and delivered to the US Navy. Its operations history saw it assigned to the US Marine Corps, Marine Air Wing 2, Marine Air Group 21, and finally the Black Panthers Squadron.

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Plane Goes Missing

On January 14, 1944, Dauntless 35971 was assigned to a mission to strike targets in Rabaul, a province located in Papua New Guinea.

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Marines sitting in the jungle during World War 2

Source: Signal Corps Archive/Wikimedia

The planes were after Japanese shipping targets in the vicinity and managed to sink nine direct hits on seven transports. During the mission, Dauntless 35971 reportedly had its tail shot off by anti-aircraft fire and disappeared over Saint Georges Channel.

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Missing in Action

After being seen disappearing in the northeast of Rabaul, Dauntless 35971 was officially declared Missign in Action after it failed to return to base.

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A Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless aircraft in 1944.

Source: U.S. Navy/Wikimedia

There was a search conducted by a PBY Catalina that was looking for lost aircrews from the January 14 mission but it did not turn up anyone from Dauntless 35971.

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Fate of the Pilot

The pilot of the Dauntless 35971, 1st Lt. Billy Ray Ramsey, is thought to have died in the crash and remained on the Missing in Action list. He was officially declared dead on January 15, 1945.

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Grave markers at the Manila American Cemetery.

Source: Stefan Krasowski/Wikimedia

After his declared death he was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain and awarded a Purple Heart. His name appears on the tablets of the missing in Manila American Cemetery.

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What Happened to the Gunner?

The gunner of the aircraft, Sgt Charlie J. Sciara reportedly managed to bail out of the flailing aircraft and make it safely to the ground. Unfortunately, he was captured by Japanese forces and became a Prisoner of War.

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Japanese Foxholes located in the Solomon islands.

Sources: Signal Corps Archive/Wikimedia

His brother John Sciara saw a letter from the Marine Corps indicating this. “After the war my parents received a letter from the Marine Corps stating Sgt Charles Sciara did not die on January 14, 1944. He somehow survived the crash and was taken prisoner by the Japanese and died in an unknown prison camp.”

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Department of Defense Investigation

A spokesperson for an agency within the US Department of Defense commented on the reports of the plane wreck discovery.

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A photo of The Pentagon, the building belonging to the US Department of Defense.

Source: Ken Hammond/Wikimedia

“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,” the spokesperson said.

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Other WWII Discoveries

The discovery of the missing SBD Dauntless is not the only one in recent years.

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Photograph of American soldiers raising an American flag during WWII

Source: National WWII Museum

Plenty of other wrecked or lost planes and ships from WWII have been discovered, providing closure to families and bringing attention to lesser-known battles and stories.

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Discovery of the USS Indianapolis

In 2017, the wreck of the USS Indianapolis was found in the Philippine Sea, 72 years after a Japanese submarine torpedoed it.

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The U.S. Navy heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35) underway at sea on 27 September 1939.

Source: Unknown author/Wikipedia

The sinking led to one of the worst naval disasters in U.S. history. The discovery brought closure to the families of the 879 lost sailors and provided new insights into the tragic event.

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HMS Hood and Bismarck Wrecks

The wreck of HMS Hood, sunk by the German battleship Bismarck in 1941, was discovered in 2001.

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Partial restoration (spots removed, but no levels adjustment) of a 1924 photo by Allan C. Green of HMS Hood (pennant number 51), the last battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. For other versions, see below.

Source: Allan C. Green/Wikipedia

These discoveries offered crucial details about the Battle of the Denmark Strait, enhancing our understanding of naval warfare and the catastrophic engagements during WWII.

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Operation Hannibal Shipwrecks

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the wrecks of ships from Operation Hannibal, a German evacuation effort, were found in the Baltic Sea.

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For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Scherl Bilderdienst: II. Weltkrieg 1939 - 1945, Überfall auf Polen am 1. September 1939. Das KdF - Schiff "Wilhelm Gustloff" wird als Lazarettschiff eingesetzt, hier im Danziger Hafen im Herbst 1939. 12065 - 39

Source: Bundesarchiv, Bild/Wikipedia

These included the Wilhelm Gustloff and Steuben, revealing one of the largest maritime disasters. The findings highlighted the chaos and desperation during the final months of WWII in Europe.

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Sahara Desert Aircraft

The remains of an RAF P-40 Kittyhawk were found in the Egyptian desert in 2012.

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c/n 27490. US military serial '43-5802'. RCAF serial '840'. Operated by Peter Teichman's Hangar 11 Collection, based at North Weald, Essex. She currently wears the markings of a P-40N '44-2104590' named "Lulu Belle", which was flown by 2nd Lieutenant Philip R. Adair as part of the 89th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group, 10th Air Force, based in the China-Burma-India Theater. Seen on finals to land after displaying at the Shuttleworth 2016 Season Premier Airshow. Old Warden, Bedfordshire, UK. 08-5-2016

Source: Alan Wilson/Wikipedia

The aircraft, belonging to pilot Dennis Copping, crash-landed in 1942. Its discovery provided a stark reminder of the harsh conditions faced by WWII pilots and preserved a piece of North African campaign history.

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Enigma Machine in Baltic Sea

In 2020, an Enigma machine used by the German military for encrypting messages was discovered in a Baltic Sea bay.

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Enigma machine

Source: Alessandro Nassiri/Wikipedia

This rare find highlighted the significance of cryptographic efforts during WWII and the crucial role of codebreakers in the Allied victory.

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German U-Boat U-576

The wreck of the German U-boat U-576 was discovered off the coast of North Carolina in 2014. It was sunk during the Battle of the Atlantic alongside the freighter Bluefields.

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Source: NavSource Online: Submarine Photo Archive

This find provided valuable insights into the underwater conflicts and the strategic importance of the Atlantic routes.

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Lost WWII Submarines

Numerous WWII submarines have been found, including the U.S. submarine USS Grayback in 2019 near Okinawa.

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An image of a US Submarine traveling through the waters of the ocean

Source: Wikimedia

Missing since 1944, its discovery provided closure for the families of the 80 crew members and contributed to our understanding of submarine warfare in the Pacific Theater.

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Wreck of the SS Richard Montgomery

In 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery, carrying munitions, sank near the Thames Estuary. Its wreck remains partially visible while still housing explosives within its walls.

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SS Richard Montgomery taken from aboard the PS Kingswear Castle.

Source: Clem Rutter/Wikipedia

In 1944, the SS Richard Montgomery, carrying munitions, sank near the Thames Estuary. Its wreck remains partially visible while still housing explosives within its walls.

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USS Yorktown Survey

Ocean Exploration Trust’s survey of USS Yorktown during the Ala ʻAumoana Kai Uli expedition marked the first real-time viewing of this Battle of Midway wreck. Discovered over 25 years ago, this noninvasive visual survey was part of a NOAA-funded mission to explore deep-water habitats in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

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The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CVS-10) underway at sea on 10 March 1963. Yorktown, with assigned Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 55 (CVSG-55), was deployed to the Western Pacific from 26 October 1962 to 18 June 1963.

Source: US Navy/Wikipedia

The dive honored the cultural and historical significance of the site. The mission involved numerous partners and aimed to provide baseline data to support the management and potential national marine sanctuary designation of PMNM, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

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Discovery of the Kaga

The wreck of the Japanese aircraft carrier Kaga, sunk during the Battle of Midway in 1942, was located in 2019.

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Imperial Japanese Navy Carrier Kaga: photo taken after her massive refitting. Its smokestack is directed downwards to extinguish the smoke with seawater.

Source: Mr Fukami/Wikipedia

This discovery provided a deeper understanding of the battle that turned the tide in the Pacific War and preserved the legacy of one of Japan’s most formidable carriers.

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Rediscovering Our History

The discovery of long-lost WWII artifacts continues to captivate and educate us. Each find enriches our historical knowledge, honors the memory of those who served, and, hopefully, brings closure to families.

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A Japanese sailor stands beside a released torpedo during WWII

Source: Quora

These discoveries remind us of the enduring impact of WWII and the importance of preserving its legacy for future generations.

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