World War Two Plane And Crew That Disappeared in the Sahara Desert Is Finally Found

World War II was a war that spanned continents, which meant that remnants can still be found in far-flung corners of the globe today. We have all seen movies, television shows, and even photographs of this time, or dramatizations of it. When a real live artifact is found, though, the world always wants to know the story behind it. Who were the men and women involved, and what happened that caused this plane to disappear? For scientists, a lost aircraft has been puzzling them for a long time. Nobody could figure out what had happened to the famed crew of this missing plane until a recent discovery was made.

Invading Italy

It began in 1943 when Allied forces started making their way into Italy. The Allied forces had been fighting a bitter battle across Europe, when it was decided that if Italy could be successfully won, then the war might actually begin to go in their favor.

The United States of America’s military had joined the war effort by this point, and with their help, it was believed that Italy could be won. Every soldier, pilot, and seaman knew the risks involved in a push like this, but they were ready to do this in the names of their countries.

Preparing For Battle

Planning an invasion of this scale takes a lot of careful consideration. Generals need to decide who would deploy to the front lines first, how to attack from the coast, and what kind of air support would be needed to make sure that there is no unnecessary loss of life.

The final attack would be on the city of Naples, but surrounding it was some key areas that could pose some problems once the battle got underway. The United States Air Force decided they would target these areas, and send out their best fighters to pave the way for the rest of the Allied forces.

The Lady Be Good

One bomber, in particular, was chosen for this covert mission. The aircraft was named the Lady Be Good, and her crew was known for being some of the most precise bombers in their squadron. There was an air force base in the African country of Libya, where a lot of the U.S. Air Force had been located for the war, and this is where this now infamous crew was stationed.

All nine of the men aboard the Lady Be Good did their jobs perfectly. The key locations in Italy that needed to be bombed were, and the Allied forces were able to make the push to Naples, and to victory.

Returning To Libya

The bombing of the key Italian targets had taken a few hours, and by the time the Lady Be Good was ready to return to its base, it was night. The crew knew they could not stay over Italian airspace while a battle was raging, so they decided to fly back to Libya. As soon as they began to cross the ocean, though, things went awry. The pilot became very disoriented and did not know where the base was.

As the Sahara desert is in this region, all they could see were swathes of red sand dunes stretching out before them. It was then; the crew realized that they might not have enough fuel to make it back to base.

Some Bad News

Now, the aircraft crew began to fear for the worst. Would they have to touch down in the Sahara desert with very few supplies, and pray to be rescued? Lieutenant William Hatton did everything in his power to get them some help and began to radio their airbase desperately. They needed to know the exact location of the base, or they would never make it back.

The fuel gauge began to dip lower and lower, and the crew knew that things were about to take a turn for the worse. They hoped that they would make it to base, and would not have to try and survive in the harsh desert climate down below.

A Sandstorm

While the crew waited for coordinates for the base, they saw something quickly approaching in the distance. At first, it wasn’t clear what it was, and it appeared to be a large red cloud. Then, they realized what they were seeing.

A giant sandstorm was beginning to blow in, which meant visibility would be very bad for flying unless they managed to get ahead of it, or above it. With very little fuel left, the crew knew what they would have to do.

Lost In The Storm

After that last mayday call from Lieutenant Hatton, the plane, and the crew were never seen nor heard from again. It remained a mystery what had happened to these war heroes, and just two years after this, the war finally came to an end.

The world rejoiced, and celebrations could be seen in every city that had been on the Allied side. Yet, the mystery of the Lady Be Good was still on a few peoples’ minds.

A Sighting

As the world began to recover from the effects of World War II, the military continued to question the disappearance of Lady Be Good and her crew. It was not until 1958, over ten years later, that some answers began to surface.

Something in the Sahara desert had been spotted by a group of people out there, and it seemed like some answers were finally going to be found. It was time to launch a real investigation.

A Crashed Plane

With the war now at an end, oil companies began to head to Africa to explore possible oil well sites. One such company, the D’Arcy Oil Company, had begun to explore Libya and the desert surrounding it.

During one of their standard surveys done from above in a plane, they glimpsed a crashed airplane partially buried by sand. It looked like it had been entombed in the sand for quite some time, but they had heard of the mythical Lady Be Good, could it be the lost plane?

Closer Inspection

As soon as the missing aircraft was reported, along with the exact coordinates of its location, the military from Wheelus Air Base in Libya sent out a team of investigators. Much to their amazement, it was indeed the Lady Be Good.

They opened up the hatch to see if the bodies of her crew were inside, but it was empty. Where did the crew of the plane go? Had they managed to make it to safety after all of these years?

Confusion

The Air Force investigators began to comb over the Lady Be Good. They wanted to know exactly what had happened and why the crew had abandoned her. Everything appeared to be in good working order, and one of the guns was even loaded.

The only thing that the plane did not have was fuel. What was confusing, though, was if the radio still worked, why didn’t the crew try to contact the base with their coordinates.

Vanished

As the investigators continued to take stock of what was on board, they noticed a few more things, which were rather odd. A lot of food, in the form of rations, had been left. If the crew had decided to face the elements, why had they not taken all of the food with them?

There were also a number of personal items, like photographs, books, and letters that were scattered around the inside. The aircraft log did not have anything written in it past the bombing in Italy.

Solving The Mystery

Now that they had a site to work with, the military began to spread out and perform a grid search of the surrounding area. They were hoping to find some more clues, and eventually, they did.

Sadly, after a couple of years of searching, five of the nine bodies were recovered in the vicinity of the plane. The one belonging to co-pilot Robert Toner actually had an account of what had happened on his person.

Trying To Survive

Reading through the diary, the investigators learned the fate of these five crewmen. The crew knew that they were about to crash land in the desert, which meant they would have to try and find the nearest village if they wanted to survive.

These five decided to set off in the hopes of running into a nomadic community in the area, or at the very least, to find an oasis with some water. Sadly, they did not.

A Failed Parachute

Before the aircraft could crash, one of the crew members decided to jump out of the hatch and parachute to the desert floor. His parachute did not open correctly, and he passed away during the descent.

With barely any food, and almost no water, the other eight crewmen stayed onboard the Lady Be Good and prepared to survive a crash landing. They survived, and were then faced with staying on the plane, or attempting to find food and water.

Looking For Help

The crew did not have anything to carry their rations in, and they were confused about where they had landed. They thought they were in the north when really they were in the south of the country.

By going north, they actually moved away from any help, when they had believed they were going towards it. This journey would find them lost in the desert without food or water, which ultimately led to their final resting place.

Eight Days

As the men trudged over the sand dunes, they only had a single canteen filled with water to share amongst themselves. A cap full at a time was all they were allowed, and eventually, their bodies could no longer handle the lack of water.

One by one, they passed away, until only one was left standing. He walked over 400 kilometers in those eight days since the crash, until he too passed away from dehydration, his was the account that investigators found.

Another Theory

The diary was made public knowledge, and everyone began to talk about what had happened to the crew of the Lady Be Good. People were saddened to hear about what had happened to these war heroes, but another theory began to emerge.

Since not all of the bodies were found, what had happened to the others? Bedouin tribes were active in the area, and some people believed they could have been enslaved by them.

A Final Resting Place

Now that the world knew what had happened to the crew of the Lady Be Good, there was talk about what should be done with the aircraft itself. The Libyan Government decided to move it out of the desert and to have parts of it sent back to the United States to be displayed in the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

That way, visitors can see it in all of its former glory and learn about the stories of the crew who flew it.

Another Lost Airplane

This was not the only instance of a missing plane during World War II, though. In the Pacific country of Papua New Guinea, another American aircraft went down. This crew survived and lived to tell the tale, though.

They found themselves running out of fuel, which meant crashing down behind enemy lines. Their major fear was being captured by the Japanese who were active in the region. Surviving the crash itself was also a consideration.

A Crash Landing

The plane crashed, but instead of hitting hard earth, they landed in a soft swampy area of the country. This cushioned their landing, and there were no major injuries due to this. As soon as they had landed, the crew sprang into action.

There was no way they were going to stay with the aircraft, which could have been easily spotted from the sky by the Japanese. It was time to hatch an escape plan.

Some Local Tribesman

After stealthily wandering around the jungle, the crew of the aircraft found a group of local tribesmen. They were neutral to the war and did not have any part in it. Seeing what had happened to some other captured military from the Allied forces, they decided to help the Americans.

The aircraft was abandoned, and the crew was picked up by a passing naval ship. They thought they wouldn’t see the plane again.

30 Years Later

After about 30 years, the plane was finally located, but it was in a rather inaccessible part of the country. It was amazing the crew had managed to survive at all. Some Australian military managed to find it, and bring it out of the jungle in 1972, and the crew was able to see it once more.

Now, like the Lady Be Good, the stories of these crews can finally be put to rest, and the crews can be remembered for their war efforts.