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Pilot - "Little Eva" USAAF B-24 Liberator, #41-23762, known as "Little Eva", of the 321st Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group at Iron Range was returning from a bombing mission. "Little Eva" and 4 other B-24's had taken part in a high-level bombing raid against a Japanese troop convoy about 80 kms north of Buna. "Little Eva" piloted by Lieutenant Norman Crosson became separated from the others and returned towards their base at Iron Range by itself. "Little Eva" was caught in a severe thunder storm and went off course. Its radio was disabled during the storm and it eventually ran out of fuel. Lieutenant ordered his crew of nine to bail out. Six crew members parachuted safely. Four other crew members, who did not bale out, were killed when the aircraft crashed at about 2:45am on 2 December 1942 in the Moonlight Creek area north west of Burketown near the Gulf of Carpentaria coastline. The wreckage was eventually found near Burriejella waterhole. On 14 December 1942 two survivors, Lieutenant Norman Crosson and Sergeant Loy Wilson, were rescued by the manager of Escott Station, 15 kms west of Burketown. They had survived for 13 days after the crash with very little food and water. The wreckage of "Little Eva" was located some 60 kms north west of Escott Station. Their discovery started a search for other survivors which lasted for almost 5 months. See also: http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/41-23762.html Deceased 5-?-1989
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