Coasts of Cape York

by Christopher Cummings

  Mr Jemmerling turned to look at him and again smiled his very charming smile. “I said the whole team didn’t I?”

  “All of us?” Willy gasped, his hopes and fears both soaring.

  “Who are we talking about?” Mr Jemmerling asked, looking around.

  Mr Beck indicated the others with a sweep of his hand. “These are my workers.”

  Mr Jemmerling looked at Willy’s father and said, “You too Dr Williams?”

  “It is always a good idea to have a doctor along on expeditions,” Willy’s father replied with a grin.

  “And a girl?” Mr Jemmerling asked, indicating Marjorie.

  Willy answered, seizing the chance to put in for his friends. “Three girls. There are three navy cadets in our team,” he said.

  “And my wife as the adult female to look after the girls,” Willy’s father added.

  Mr Jemmerling did not show any surprise. He did a quick mental calculation and said, “That is seventeen people, about four thousand pounds weight- that is if you are coming too Mrs Beck?”

  Mrs Beck looked horrified. “Oh dear me no! Count me out. I’m happy to stay at home.”

  “Can the ‘Catalina’ carry that many?” Willy asked.

  Mr Jemmerling nodded. “Oh yes. It has seats for four in the cockpit and nose, plus eight more in the cabin and we can fit in a couple of extras in the saloon. The plane can lift seventeen thousand pounds but that includes fuel. If it was carrying guns and bombs these would typically have weighed in at about three thousand pounds.”

  “When are we going on this jaunt; you mentioned next weekend?” Mr Beck asked.

  “Yes, that is the most convenient time for me. I do have businesses to run so can’t stay on holiday swanning around for ever,” Mr Jemmerling replied.

  Willy’s father now asked, “Can you be more specific; times and places and so on?”

  Mr Jemmerling nodded. “Yes. I can pick you up here at Mareeba at nine next Saturday morning and we can then fly north, overnight on Horn Island or Thursday Island and then fly back on Sunday to be back by about lunch time,” Mr Jemmerling answered.

  “Why Mareeba, isn’t your plane at Cairns?” Willy’s father asked.

  Mr Jemmerling shook his head and replied, “No, not anymore. I have just moved it up to Mareeba. The airport fees here are much less and there is a lot less traffic, so not as many flying problems,” he explained.

  A few more details were discussed and Mr Jemmerling then gave the adults his telephone number to co-ordinate. He then thanked them and excused himself, leaving with Mr Hobbs.

  As the two men vanished from view Stick burst out, saying, “I wonder what his devious plan is? I’ll bet he just wants to trick us into showing where our planes are.”

  “He seemed too nice and too friendly,” Norman agreed.

  “It could be a trick,” Willy added.

  Marjorie shook her head. “Well, I thought he was a really charming gentleman and I would love to fly in his aeroplane.”

  “So did I,” Willy’s father said. “And even if he does hope to pick up clues I don’t see why we shouldn’t take advantage of his offer.”

  “You mean we can go Dad?” Willy cried, thrilled by the opportunity.

  Dr Williams nodded and said, “If your mother agrees.”

  They left it at that and went back to their various jobs. Willy spent the afternoon carefully cleaning the interior of the ‘Neptune’ and was instructed in more of the arts of maintaining vintage and replica aircraft by Norman, who was a skilled expert.

  As soon as they picked up his mother from Aunty Isabel’s Willy explained the proposal to her and asked if they could go. His mother looked at Willy’s father and raised her eyebrows; to which he nodded. “Yes, alright,” she replied. “Lloyd must come too, if he wishes,” she added.

  But Lloyd wasn’t interested. He had already made arrangements for a party with his Year 11 mates at Darren’s house. That pleased Willy who did not want his big brother along. Next he phoned Andrew to see if he and Carmen were interested.

  Andrew replied, “Yes, but I will have to ask Carmen and then Mum and Dad. I will also call Tina. Wait and I will call you back.”

  Willy did. He lay on his bed and read the magazine article on the Dutch ‘Dornier’ flying boats. What he read both amazed and fascinated him. ‘I didn’t know the Dutch had so many planes in the Far East,’ he thought. He now learned that the aircraft were German designed Dornier Do 24s; all-metal, high-wing monoplanes with three engines and with the impressive maximum range of nearly 3,000 nautical miles.

  ‘Wing span 27 metres, length 22 metres, wights: empty 13,500 kg; loaded 18,400 kg; maximum speed 340km/h; service ceiling 19,360 feet. And a pretty impressive armament for a flying boat: three gun positions with one 7.92 mm MG in the nose, another in the tail and a dorsal turret with either a 20mm or 30mm cannon.’

  That got him studying the illustrations and photos. It took him a few seconds to find the tail gun turret. At last he found it, perched right up on the tailplane between and slightly aft of the twin tail fins. ‘I wonder if the gunner could get back into the main fuselage from back there,’ he mused. They were, he decided, quite impressive aircraft.

  Next he read that they carried underwing bombs or depth charges. ‘They were naval aircraft,’ he read. ‘Used for maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine duties. Usually they carried a crew of six: Pilot, co-pilot, navigator/radio operator, and three air gunners. First flew in 1937, last flew (in Spain) in 1967.’

  There were details of their manufacture. The article read: An excellent tri-motor flying boat, it was one of the few aircraft to be designed and sold by the Nazi government to a foreign country, in this case to the Netherlands. A total of 11 were manufactured by Weserflugzeugbau. In addition 26 more were manufactured under licence by the Dutch de Schelde and Aviolanda companies. All were deployed to the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia). The Dutch aircraft were designated the Do 24K-2.

  ‘That Jacob van der Heyden we rescued said that his father was an officer in the Dutch navy and that he had been a navigator on flying boats. I wonder if he was on these planes?’ Willy thought. For a few moments he wondered what had become of Jacob. Then he shrugged and went back to his reading.

  Willy read that after the Netherlands were conquered by the Germans in 1940 the Dutch factories, plus the French Potez-CAMS plant were used to make more, the aircraft being used by the German Luftwaffe. 170 were manufactured in the Netherlands and another 48 in France. What surprised Willy even more was to read that, after the war, the French made another 20 for their own use and that they had as many as 60 in service until 1955. Others were sold to Spain.

  What he found most interesting were the short paragraphs mentioning that when the war with Japan began the Dutch Dorniers did magnificent service in reconnaissance, bombing attacks and laying mines as part of the allied defence. They were crucial in providing early warning of several approaching Japanese fleets, including the one that took part in the Battle of the Java Sea.

  Here another big gap in Willy’s historical knowledge was exposed and he only gained a glimmer of it by reading that a combined Dutch, British, Australian and American fleet, all commanded by the Dutch Admiral Karel Dorman took part in the battle. Willy was saddened to learn that the allies lost badly and that one of the ships which took part, and which was sunk two nights later in the Sunda Strait, was the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth.

  ‘I must read more about that,’ he decided, feeling a strong desire to know his own country’s history. Then he read the paragraph which mentioned that the Dutch Dorniers were also very extensively used to evacuate important senior officers and political leaders, diamonds, gold and money, and Dutch and British civilians from the Netherlands East Indies to safety in Australia as the Japanese invasion progressed.

  That reminded him of the tragic story of the flying boats sunk at Broome by the Japanese air raid when many civilians were killed because they were still on board the
anchored flying boats out in the bay. ‘Some of those flying boats were Dutch,’ he remembered.

  He went to look up the details of this but was interrupted by Andrew phoning back. “Sorry Willy, but I am the only one,” Andrew said. “Carmen and Tina have both already made commitments to go to some birthday party and they don’t feel they can let their friend down.”

  “So it is just you?” Willy asked.

  “Yes. Look, if you need more, why don’t you ask Graham or Stephen?” Andrew suggested.

  That seemed like a good idea but Willy was very wary of phoning Graham’s house and did not want to invite Stephen. ‘I will try Peter,’ he thought. So he phoned Peter and put the idea to him. Peter sounded interested. “I’d love to go,” he said, “But I leave for my sergeants course on Saturday.”

  Without thinking Willy added, “Do you think Graham would be allowed?”

  “Graham! Oh hell, you don’t know. He’s gone missing,” Peter said.

  “Missing!” Willy was shocked and at once apprehensive. “You don’t think he.. that he..”

  “Has done himself in?” Peter finished. “No, I don’t. He has taken his camping gear. I think he is camping somewhere and having a fit of the dejections. But I’m really worried.”

  “You don’t think he might have gone to Castor to see Carol?” Willy suggested.

  “Don’t think so. He was told not to go anywhere near her,” Peter replied.

  Feeling really anxious Willy hung up and went to tell his parents. That took some explaining as they did not know the background. Both adults just shook their heads sadly. “I don’t see what we can do,” Willy’s father said.

  Nor did Willy and that made him feel even worse. As a result he slept very badly, with bad dreams full of death and grinning skulls. Several times he woke up in a cold sweat and then tried not to go back to sleep.

  As a result Sunday was not a good day. Willy moped around the house, did his share of the chores and then lay on his bed and worried. Even a visit in mid-afternoon by Stick, Marjorie and Vicki did nothing to cheer him up. He told them the tale and the girls became so upset that Willy was first astonished, then jealous, then annoyed. ‘I didn’t know Marjorie liked Graham so much!’ he thought.

  The good news was that Stick and Marjorie were allowed to go on the ‘Catalina’ flight. “Even if you are the only girl?” Willy queried.

  “Yes. Your Mum is going isn’t she?” Marjorie answered.

  Willy nodded. At that moment the phone rang. Willy picked it up. It was Peter. “Good news!” he almost shouted. “Graham is safe.”

  “Where is he?” Willy asked.

  “At the police station,” Peter replied.

  “The police station! Is he in trouble? What did he do?” Willy asked.

  “I don’t know,” Peter said. “I just got a call to say he was safe. We will have to wait till tomorrow to find out.”

  But they did not find out on Monday. When Willy got to school he walked around looking for Graham. He found Peter, Roger and Stephen but all they knew was that Graham was safe but not at school.

  What really got Willy and his friends speculating were the news headlines on both days that mentioned another suspicious death at the Castor Mill. “Graham suggested that there was something fishy was going on there. I wonder what it was?” Willy said, hinting to Stephen.

  It was not until Willy found Graham sitting with is friends on Tuesday lunchtime that he finally got the story. The main fact was that Declin Riley had recovered in time to save Graham’s life and to tell the police that both he and Stephen were innocent. Two other men had bashed him (For the full story read ‘Sugar and Spice’).

  When Graham had finished his tale Peter asked, “Have you spoken to Capt Conkey yet Graham?”

  Graham nodded. “Yes, first thing this morning,” he replied.

  “Can you still go on the promotion course?” Peter asked.

  “Yes.”

  The whole group seemed to sigh with relief. Stephen mentioned that he was allowed to go as well but it did not have the same emotional impact. From then on the mood lightened and they began to joke and laugh. Willy could see that Graham was still upset and guessed it was from a broken heart. ‘He will be OK. He will soon fall in love with some other girl,’ he thought.

  For the last three days of the week the atmosphere became a mixture of boredom and excitement. As the Year 10s and 11s were finishing that Friday they had no interest in school work and a holiday and party mood gripped them. Willy and the other Year 9s were infected by this but also mildly resentful that they still had another week still to endure.

  “The whole system is a bloody farce,” Stephen said. “All year levels should finish on the same day and save all this waste of time and effort.”

  “It’s so that the teachers can mark all our assignments and exams,” Stick said.

  Stephen snorted. “Oh piffle! They did that weeks ago. Now we are just wasting time. We could be out searching to get the plane wrecks before that Jemmytingle beats us to it,” he said.

  That made Willy feel quite anxious, again being tormented by suspicions that Mr Jemmerling’s offer of a flight over Cape York might be just a trick. ‘We will just have to be careful what we do or say,’ he decided.

  Both Graham and Stephen assured Willy that they were still interested in taking part in an expedition up the Cape after Christmas. They both expressed some mild resentment that there was to be an expedition before then, but as both were going on the army cadet promotion course the next day this was not very strong. When told of the proposed flight that weekend Stephen was quite obviously annoyed and jealous.

  “You could have asked us!” he said.

  “I knew you were leaving for your promotion course on Saturday,” Willy answered.

  Graham shook his head. “Good luck then. But if you are going in that Mr Jemmerling’s ‘Catalina’ you will need to be very careful in case he manages to get information out of you about our plane wrecks.”

  “I’ve thought of that,” Willy answered. “We will be careful, won’t we Marjorie?”

  Marjorie nodded. Stephen guffawed and cried, “That’s what they say; if you can’t be good then be careful!”

  It took Willy a few seconds to realize what Stephen meant. Then he got annoyed. Marjorie sniffed and turned away from him while Vicki, once the innuendo had been explained to her, said, “Don’t be horrible Stephen!”

  That afternoon at the school gate Willy said goodbye to Graham. “I hope you do well on your promotion course,” he said.

  “I’ll try my best,” Graham promised. “Now you watch out for that Jemmerling character.”

  “I will. You have a happy Christmas. See you in the new year,” Willy replied.

  The two boys parted with cries of ‘Merry Christmas’. As he rode home Willy was quite emotional. He found it hard to realize that another year of school was almost over- was over for Graham and his friends. ‘Now we can really start searching for these plane wrecks,’ he told himself, excitement bubbling up with the thought that tomorrow he was going flying again- and in a ‘Catalina’!

  CHAPTER 16

  CAPE YORK FROM THE AIR

  Friday night meant Air Cadets. For Willy there was more excited anticipation as the permission forms and administrative instructions for the January promotion course were issued, along with more items of uniform and kit. Willy found it impossible not to boast about the ‘Catalina’ flight the next day and that aroused a fair bit of jealousy and a few barbed comments, particularly from people like Finlay and Morrow.

  That night, before he went to bed, Willy carefully packed everything needed for the weekend, the hardest part being to stop his mother doing it for him. “It’s alright Mum. You don’t have to fuss! I know what I need. I’ve been on cadet camps and trips before,” he said resignedly.

  Willy had a restless night. Dreams kept him on the edge of waking for much of the time but he woke feeling eager and fresh despite that. The family was all up
at 0500 and on the road by 0600. There was a detour to collect Andrew, Marjorie and Stick. By 0800 they were at the Mareeba airfield.

  As they turned off the Kennedy Highway Willy scanned the aircraft that were visible but did not see the ‘Catalina’. Clearly visible were some of the vintage aircraft of the North Queensland ‘Warbirds’ Club but no flying boat. Willy had several times watched the NQ ‘Warbirds’ perform at air shows and he thought they were very good. As he was driven past he admired the club’s ‘Winjeels’, ‘Nanchangs’, DC3 and ‘Harvard’. But it was the seaplane he really wanted to see. It was only as they pulled into the bitumen car park near the office buildings that he spotted the black wing of the Pterodactyl poking out from behind a hangar. ‘The wing tip floats are folded up,’ he noted with interest.

  Standing outside were the Becks, Mr Jemmerling and Mr Hobbs. The car was parked and they climbed out, to a chorus of cheerful and friendly greetings. Willy was still intensely suspicious of Mr Jemmerling but had trouble remembering that when the man was so friendly.

  A man came around the side of the building and was introduced as Harvey. He was the flight engineer and looked to be in his sixties. He gestured in the direction of the aircraft and said, “Bring your gear. We are ready to start up.”

  As Willy picked up his kitbag he felt another surge of excitement, and just a twinge of apprehension. At the back of his mind lurked the knowledge that the ‘Catalina’ was nearly seventy years old and things might go wrong. ‘But it wouldn’t be allowed to fly if it was unsafe. It must have been certified as airworthy by the Civil Aviation Department,’ he reassured himself.

  When the ‘Catalina’ came into view Willy stopped and studied it. Even though he had seen it before he was half lost in admiration. It was freshly painted, a dull, matt black, and it looked better than Mr Southall’s machine. His eyes picked out the name painted in small white running writing on the side of the nose: Pterodactyl. Willy studied the lines of the black painted machine and nodded. Yes, in the dark it would look like the pre-historic flying dinosaur.