11 MARCH 1945
Captain Gerard F. Wientjes, pilot of "Playmate Special", departed Morotai at 1330, arriving in the vicinity of Majoe Island to begin searching for a downed Beaufighter crew. Sighting an oil slick and debris on the water they saw the crew on what looked like a raft at 1400. On closer inspection, one of the survivors was floating on a tire and wheel that had broken off his Beaufighter, and the other survivor was hanging onto a tiny navigator's table about a half mile away. Captain Wientjes anxiously looked at the heavy sea below and knew that it was almost impossible to make a safe water landing with waves running 10 to 12 feet high. If the men had been on a raft he would not have chanced the landing at that time, but their plight promted the decision to attempt the rescue. The crew took their crash-landing positions and prayed as the plane dropped. When the plane hit the water the nose buried under the waves and quicky bounced back into the air. After three terrific bounces, the "Cat" settled onto the water 50 yards from the Aussie floating on the table. As the plane taxied to within 20 yards, the Australian maneuvered his floating table close by. Thinking he had a one hand grip on the nose of the plane, he let go of the table. In an instant, due to his exhausted condition, he lost his hold, a huge wave came in over the plane and washed him away. He shouted that he couldn't swim, and quickly disappeared. The next time the crew spotted him he ws 50 yard away. Captain Goldberg stripped off his clothes, dived into the raging sea, fought his way to the drowning soldier, shedding his life preserver rather than have it handicap his swimming. He grabbed the unconscious Aussie as he was disappearing and towed him to the plane. The engines were switched on and the plane taxied in the direction of the other Australian, while Captain Goldberg worked with his patient. The second drifting airman had disappeared but Lieutenant Arthur J. Carothers spotted him as he appeared on the top of a huge swell. The plane was tossing like a cork, almost out of control. The occasional flash of the Aussie's mirror directed the pilot and soon he was pulled aboard at 1435.  The seas were increasing in fury and water was breaking over the ship and pouring into the hull. The radio man and engineer bailed  furiously to avoid being capsized. The pilot and co-pilot decided a take-off under these conditions would be suicide, so the only thing to do was look for smoother water. The navigator, 1st Lieutenant Richard W. Deane, located a small island about 25 miles away and the plane started its long water journey through the roughest sea any of the men had seen. It took 5 hours to cover the 25 miles, bucking the pounding waves all the way. The engines were stopped eight times to enable the bailers to catch up. Water was up to the rudder pedals in the front of the plane. Captain Wientjes said afterward "I was ready on two occasions to give up the ship when I saw her nose go under. I thought we were gonners." The situation became so desperate they asked for a rescue boat to be sent out for them. The plane seemed doomed. It would have taken 9 hours for help to arrive so the men "prayed and passed the buckets."  Finally they reached the lee side of the tiny island and made a take off at dusk. They headed for home, flying through very heavy weather and reaching Morotai at 2020. The landing strip was closed in. Five large airdrome searchlights were turned on, but the pilots couldn't see them. A radio bearing was flashed to the plane, and no seeoner had this been received, the ship's radio conked out due to all the water. They finally dropped low enough to see the search beams and they made a safe landing. The survivors were transferred to an ambulance and taken to the 155th Station Hospital. The survivors stated that they were forced to ditch their Beaufighter because of engine failure.

See some photos [photo-1] [photo-2] [photo-3] after the mission. Read a newspaper article about this rescue! Read the report done by the 30 Squadron, RAAF and Navigator Flight Sergeant Neil Collision.

SURVIVORS: 30 Squadron, RAAF - Beaufighter A19-187 - (Pilot) Flying Officer Neal Dale Redfern,
(Navigator) Flight Sergeant James Norman Collision

RAAF REPORT:
MOR 29 - Also on March 11, two Beaufighters to sweep the Tomohon area. Aircraft and crews taking part A19-187 Redfern/Collison, A19-140 Warner/ Hackshaw, departed 0924/11I returned 1530/11I, with A19-187 lost. On this mission there were no signs of enemy activity. After completing a strafing sweep of Lake Tondano east of Tomohon Beaufighter aircraft A19-187 was hit in the starboard engine by medium ack-ack fire from the enemy. The crew consisted of F/O N.D. Redfern (411186) Pilot and No 440058 F/Sgt Collison J.N. Navigator.  The pilot headed for base but with one damaged engine was unable to maintain height and was forced to ditch in the sea approximately 10 miles north of Majoe Island. The accompanying aircraft piloted by F/L A.L Warner (400946) contacted base and a Catalina rescue plane was soon on the scene and picked up the crew of A19-187 who had taken to their dingy. Due to rough seas considerable difficulty was experienced in taking off but in the late afternoon the Catalina lifted off and arrived safely back at base one hour after dark F/O Redfern and F/Sgt Collison were naturally tired and exhausted but apart from a few scratches and bruises were none the worse for their experience.                            

AIRCRAFT: OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO: 44-33883 (CV-338)**
CALLSIGN: "Playmate Special" 
CREW: (Pilot) Captain Gerard F. Wientjes, (Co-Pilot) 1st Lt. Arthur G. Carothers, (Navigator) 1st Lt. Richard W. Deane, (Engineer) Tech Sergeant Michael J. Spisak, (Radio) Staff Sergeant William A. Allman, (Radar) Sergeant Christopher A. Pavone, (Flight Surgeon) Captain Louie Goldberg