The Tragic Story of The Flying Dutchman (2024)

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On Nov. 10, 1942, the C-47 nicknamed The Flying Dutchman (S/N 41-18564) hit a strong down-draft over the Owen Stanley Range while carrying U.S. Army troops from Port Moresby to Pongani, New Guinea. It crashed into the side of Mount Obree, killing seven of the 23 onboard and destroying most of the food it carried. Of the 16 survivors, eight received serious injuries and burns.

Realizing that rescue probably depended upon going for help, the survivors sent out a team of four men on Nov. 12. Three days later, another four-man team departed for help in another direction. Eight men remained with the plane, only one of whom was physically able to carry water for the other seven badly injured personnel.

The first team encountered unbelievable hardships and difficulties in the mountains and jungle. While attempting to float down a river on logs, two men were swept away, never to be seen again. Finally, after 32 days, the surviving two men found help. The second party encountered similar hardships, but they all reached the coast on Dec. 14, 1942.

Based upon the meager information provided by the first two men, a search party was dispatched to find the crash site by back-tracking the escape route. After about eight days, it had to abandon the search when its native porters stole all the provisions and disappeared into the jungle.

Aerial reconnaissance missions flew over the general crash area without success, but eighteen months later, in July 1944, the crash site was discovered. A rescue party went to the location, only to find the eight crash survivors dead.

Ironically, searchers looking for another downed airplane rediscovered The Flying Dutchman in 1967, and they found this door. The notes written on it reveal the tragic hopes of those who had been waiting for a rescue that came too late. The last entry was made on Jan. 1, 1943, and what happened afterward and how long the last man lived will probably never be known.

Daily Entries on Door:
(Left column)
Crashed 1:30 Tues - 10 of Nov. - 1942
Tues-10 17 men alive
Wed-11 16 men alive
Thurs-12 4 men started for help
Fri-13
Sat-14 Tried to put up balloon
Sun-15 Cracker and cheese
Mon-16 4 men started for help-due South leaves eight men left
Tues-17 Small piece cheese
Wed-18 Chocolate bar
Thurs-19 Found one chocolate bar
Fri-20 1/3 can tomato juice
Sat-21 1/3 can tomato juice
Sun-22 Drank last 1/3 can of tomato juice
Mon-23 Last cigarette-even butts
Tues-24 First day-no rain
Wed-25 2nd day-no rain
Thurs-26 Rain today-also clear in morning
Fri-27 Bucket full water this morn-still got our chin up.
Sat-28 Clearest day we have had
Sun-29 Nice clear day. Boy we're getting weak still have our hope
Mon-30 Still going strong on imaginary meals
December Tues-1 My summer is here - went to spring today
Wed-2 Just slid by but Boy it rained
Thurs-3 Kinda cold and cloudy today-still plenty hungry-Boy a cig. would do good
Fri-4 Same ole thing-clear this morn
Sat-5 Boy nothing happened-just waiting
Sun-6 Had service today. Still lots of hope
Mon-7 Year ago today the war started-Boy we didn't think of this then
Tues-8 Nice day - still living on thru this
Wed-9 Cloudy. God is looking out for our water supply
Thurs-10 Just thirty days ago. We can take it but would be nice if someone came

(Right column)
Fri-11 Cold rainy day. We would like to start out before Christmas
Sat-12 Fairly nice day-still plenty of water
Sun-13 Beautiful morning everyone has high hopes
Mon-14 Waiting
Tues-15 Waiting
Wed-16 New water place today
Thurs-17 Running out of imaginary meals. Boys shouldn't be long in coming now. Six more shopping days
Fri-18 Nice and warm this morning. Rained in the afternoon
Sat-19 Pretty cold last night. Cold this morning too. Water pretty low. Five more days till Xmas
Sun-20
Mon-21 Plenty of water
Tues-22 Rained all three days
Wed-23 Thinking about home and Christmas. Still hoping
Thurs-24 Tonite is Christmas eve. God make them happy at home
Fri-25 Christmas Day
Sat-26
Sun-27 Rain every day
Mon-28
Tues-29
Wed-30 Johnnie died today
Thurs-31
Fri-1 New Year's Day

Pat
Mart
Ted
(on lower left of door)


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The Tragic Story of The Flying Dutchman (2024)

FAQs

What is the real story of the Flying Dutchman? ›

Lesson Summary. The Flying Dutchman is a European maritime legend about a phantom ship condemned to sail forever. Dutch folklore designates the captain as Hendrik Vander Decken, whose mission is to find the Cape of Good Hope. However, a freak storm thwarted the captain, and he could reach his destination.

Is the Flying Dutchman a tragedy? ›

The storyline is a rather grim tragedy featuring characters with some serious issues. The Dutchman has been cursed to roam the seas forever, only being allowed on land every seven years to find a woman to love him and break the curse.

Is the Flying Dutchman real, yes or no? ›

The Flying Dutchman (Dutch: De Vliegende Hollander) is a legendary ghost ship, allegedly never able to make port, but doomed to sail the sea forever. The myths and ghost stories are likely to have originated from the 17th-century Golden Age of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and of Dutch maritime power.

What is the Flying Dutchman theory? ›

The Flying Dutchman is a mythic figure who is condemned to roam the world, never resting, never bringing his ship to port, until Judgement Day. Cursed by past crimes, he is forbidden to land and sails from sea to sea, seeking a peace which forever eludes him. The Dutchman created his own destiny.

What happens at the end of the Flying Dutchman? ›

He summons his men to resume their endless voyage. But as they set sail, Senta throws herself into the sea, vowing to be faithful to him in death. Redeemed by her sacrifice, the Dutchman ascends to heaven with Senta, and his ghost ship finally disappears.

Why was the Flying Dutchman cursed? ›

The Flying Dutchman was a sea captain who once found himself struggling to round the Cape of Good Hope during a ferocious storm. He swore that he would succeed even if he had to sail until Judgment Day. The Devil heard his oath, and took him up on it; the Dutchman was condemned to stay at sea forever.

What happens after 100 years on the Flying Dutchman? ›

In the midst of the chaos, Will Turner stabbed the heart of Davy Jones, thereby killing Jones and replacing him as the new captain of the Dutchman. With the death of Davy Jones, both the Flying Dutchman and its crew returned to their former forms.

What happens if Davy Jones steps on land? ›

However, Jones could not step on land but once every ten years and by abandoning his duty as the ferryman to the afterlife he brought a curse upon himself and his crew, which caused their transformation into fish-men.

Why is the Flying Dutchman doomed? ›

In the most common version, the captain, Vanderdecken, gambles his salvation on a rash pledge to round the Cape of Good Hope during a storm and so is condemned to that course for eternity; it is this rendering which forms the basis of the opera Der fliegende Holländer (1843) by the German composer Richard Wagner.

Was the Black Pearl a real ship? ›

The Black Pearl (formerly known as the Wicked Wench) is a fictional ship in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. In the screenplay, the ship is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by Captain Jack Sparrow, the Black Pearl is said to be "nigh uncatchable".

When was the last sighting of the Flying Dutchman? ›

There have been many sightings over the years, although the last reported one was by a Nazi submarine in WWII. Some sightings involved the Flying Dutchman sailing quickly through calm waters while the majority of sailors have spotted it during extremely stormy weather with wind and waves crashing all around.

Has the Flying Dutchman been seen? ›

While most people agree the “history” of the ship is a legend, the Flying Dutchman has been sighted by reliable witnesses.

Who was the captain of the Flying Dutchman in real life? ›

In real life the Flying Dutchman was a 17th century Dutch merchantman, captained by Captain Hendrick Van Der Decken, a skilled seaman but one of few scruples, and in 1680 was proceeding from Amsterdam to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies.

What is the scientific explanation of the Flying Dutchman? ›

Fata Morgana not only produce mirror images, but can magnify objects that lie beyond the horizon. Ships can therefore be below the horizon but their reflected light is distorted to such an extent that they appear to be 'sailing' in the sky. This is the likely explanation of the Flying Dutchman.

What is the Lost Dutchman story? ›

In the 1870s Jacob Waltz, "the Dutchman" (actually a native of Germany), was said to have located the mine through the aid of a Peralta descendant. Waltz and his partner, Jacob Weiser worked the mine and allegedly hid one or more caches of gold in the Superstitions.

What is the myth in Dutchman? ›

The subway car itself, endlessly traveling the same course, is symbolic of "The Course of History." Another layer of the title's symbolism is the myth of the Flying Dutchman, a ghost ship which, much like the subway car Clay rides on, endlessly sails on with a crew that is unable to escape the confines of the vessel.

What happened to the Flying Dutchman after the curse was broken? ›

The end of the curse

As a result, Will's curse was broken and he was finally free of his duty aboard the Dutchman. The Dutchman surfaced near land and Will came ashore, reuniting with his family. The ship's further fate is unknown.

References

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