WWII U.S. Photograph of The Guinea Gopher Douglas C-47 Skytrain

Description

This original WWII U.S. photograph is quite historically significant and is likely the only existing photograph capturing the ill-fated Douglas C-47 Skytrain The Guinea Gopher (also known as The Gremlin Special), which infamously crashed into the side of a mountain during a sightseeing flight over the Baliem Valley (also known as Shangri-La valley) in New Guinea in the eastern part of Netherlands Indies on May 13, 1945. 19 passengers and five crew members were aboard The Guinea Gopher when it crashed, and only five passengers survived the initial crash: Corporal Margaret Hastings, Sergeant Kenneth Decker, Lieutenant John McCollom, Sergeant Laura Besley, and Private Eleanor Hanna, the latter two of which died of their injuries the following day. Search aircraft were dispatched when The Guinea Gopher failed to return to base. The three survivors were spotted on the ground during an air search four days after the crash. Two medical paratroopers were subsequently deployed to the site, followed by 10 other support troops. Due to significant stateside media interest, a journalist, Alexander Cann, was also dropped into the site to document the rescue attempt and the interactions with the native cannibal tribe which was harboring the three survivors. A high-altitude rescue was performed using Waco CG-4 gliders towed by a Douglas C-47 Skytrain. Three separate rescues were performed by towing a glider with a single pilot into the valley. The glider was then loaded and configured for a live capture by the tow plane which recovered the survivors, towing them back to a base in Hollandia. The topic was covered in the 1945 newsreel RESCUE FROM SHANGRI-LA and is the subject of the 2011 book Lost in Shangri-La by author Mitchell Zuckoff, whose movie rights were purchased in 2019 by 3000 Pictures. This photograph measures approximately 2.5 inches wide and 3 5/8 inches tall.

Provenance

Private Collection, Dallas, Texas

Condition Report

This photograph is in good condition, with minor exposure issues.