Rendered in Vue 8 Esprit Assets Neiwil's DC3 (ShareCG) March 3rd this year is the 70th Anniversary of the Broome Air-raid, and the forced-landing of the Dutch DC3 airliner "Pelikaan" on the shore of Carnot Bay. My small effort has only been possible because of the efforts of both private individuals and organisations, to keep the Pelikaan's story alive. A cairn apparently still marks the wreck site and commemmorates those who lost their lives. The memorial at Broome includes their names amongst the Dutch victims of the main attack. Thanks for viewing and comments etc... now, as promised... Whatever happened to... ....Lt. Zenjiro Miyano? He was the pilot leading the "Zeroes" that forced the militarised "Pelikaan" down and strafed it in the surf. He went on to become an ace. There were no Allied fighters at Broome, but Guadalcanal served up all the fighters a hopeful Japanese ace could deal with... and then that ONE that he couldn't. He died June 16th 1943 with a tally of 16 allied aircraft to his name. ....Captain Ivan Smirnoff? He continued flying transport missions for the duration of the war and then returned to life as an civil airline pilot. After a long and distinguished career, that globe-trotting White Russian fighter ace died on Majorca in 1956. Finally, ...the Pelikaan? KNILM/KLM DC3 airliner PK-AFV, the doughty "Diamond Dakota" no longer stands its ground on Smirnoff's beach. Apparently all that remained a decade ago of the Pelikaan was the corroded remains of a single wing... seawater and tropical cyclones are a potent mix. In the 1970s, two unexploded bombs were located at the site - one was destroyed on the beach- and other defused. These remained from the Mavis flying boat crew's nervous "tweet" to the survivors using 65 kg bombs! Sadly, if we preserved things from every battle and every war the world would soon become an exhibit, wouldn't it? Pelikaan was partly dismantled and unsuccessfully "torched" during the war. Maybe there was far too much capital H "History" going on elsewhere in that corner of the Indo-west Pacific at the time to consider preserving everything. Then again, perhaps what we all do today with the PEACE earned by the suffering and triumph of others is the best EXHIBIT on all...