‘Little Eva’ : Lost in the Outback

 On December 1, 1942, the B-24D Liberator "Little Eva" (Serial Number 41-23762) of the 321st Squadron, 90th Bombardment Group, departed from Iron Range Airfield (12.7594° S, 143.3125° E) on Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia, for a bombing mission targeting a Japanese convoy approximately 80 kilometers north of Buna, Papua New Guinea (8.6710° S, 148.4121° E). During the mission, "Little Eva" became separated from its formation due to severe weather. Navigational issues and radio malfunctions later caused the aircraft to veer off course over the Gulf of Carpentaria (16.0000° S, 139.0000° E). As night fell on December 2, 1942, and with fuel running critically low, 1st Lt. Norman R. Crosson (O-427813), aged 23, ordered the crew to bail out. The aircraft ultimately crashed at location 17°20′1″S 139°00′3″E - near Burriejella waterhole at Moonlight Creek Escot Station , west of Burketown, Queensland in the early hours of December 3, 1942.

Although the crew had been instructed to meet at the crash site, only 1st Lt. Crosson and Sgt. Loy L. Wilson (19051502), aged 21, successfully arrived there. The remaining survivors—2nd Lt. Daleford V. Grimes (O-728459), aged 24, 2nd Lt. John D. Dyer (O-726305), aged 21, 2nd Lt. Arthur N. Speltz (O-726419), aged 24, and TSgt. Grady S. Gaston (38038802), aged 20—decided to head towards what they believed was the east coast of Cape York Peninsula, about 24 kilometers away, near Cairns. Both groups mistakenly believed they were close to the eastern coastline. Between them, their resources included four bars of chocolate, a jungle knife, a fish hook and line, a few matches in a waterproof container, and two .45 calibre pistols.

Crosson and Wilson trekked eastward through harsh terrain, subsisting on minimal food and water. By pure chance, their route led them almost directly to Escott Station (17.7753° S, 139.4500° E), 15 kilometers west of Burketown, after a 12-day trek of approximately 60 kilometers. Exhausted and suffering from badly blistered feet, they arrived on December 14, 1942, and were taken to the four-bed Burketown hospital for medical treatment. Crosson had lost a staggering 50 pounds (22.7 kg) during this ordeal, dropping from 205 pounds (93 kg) to 155 pounds (70.3 kg). A week later, they were flown back to Iron Range. Their rescue sparked a five-month search for the remaining crew members.

The group led by Gaston traveled westward, mistakenly believing they were near the eastern coastline. After crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria shoreline, they found a shack on December 24 and made it their base. They were fortunate enough to shoot a young bullock on their fourth day, providing a brief but life-saving meal, though they carried no meat forward due to its weight. They later discarded their rusty pistols. Swimming across crocodile-infested rivers, they battled exhaustion and starvation. Tragically:

• 2nd Lt. Grimes drowned in the Robinson River on December 27, 1942, after being swept out to sea by strong currents. His body was later recovered and buried.
• 2nd Lt. Dyer succumbed to starvation on February 10, 1943.
• 2nd Lt. Speltz died during the night of February 24–25, 1943, from exposure and exhaustion.

TSgt. Gaston, the ball turret gunner, endured alone for nearly two months. When Gaston was rescued on April 23, 1943, near Seven Emu Station (16.7172° S, 137.1561° E), his weight had dropped from 168 pounds (76.2 kg) to just 100 pounds (45.3 kg)—a loss of nearly 70 pounds (31.8 kg) due to prolonged starvation and the harsh conditions of the Australian wilderness. Gaston was taken to Cloncurry and later collected by the USAAF on May 11, 1943.

The "Little Eva" incident is a sobering reminder of the perils faced by World War II aircrews, not only in combat but also in survival. Memorials near the crash site and at Monument Australia honor the crew’s sacrifices and resilience, preserving their story for future generations.

Crew Members Who Perished

• 2nd Lt. Daleford V. Grimes (O-728459), aged 24: Recovered and buried; exact burial location unavailable.
• 2nd Lt. John D. Dyer (O-726305), aged 21: Burial location unavailable.
• 2nd Lt. Arthur N. Speltz (O-726419), aged 24: Buried at Saint Theodore's Cemetery, Albert Lea, Minnesota.
• SSgt. Charles B. Workman (19034958), aged 23: Buried at Lucasville Cemetery, Lucasville, Ohio.
• SSgt. James B. Hilton (17010274), aged 24: Buried at Earthman Resthaven Cemetery, Houston, Texas.
• Sgt. Edward J. McKeon (17002097), aged 21: Buried at Long Island National Cemetery, Farmingdale, New York.
• Cpl. John Geydos Jr. (17045305), aged 20: Buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl), Honolulu, Hawaii.

Survivors Who Passed Later

• 1st Lt. Norman R. Crosson (O-427813): Buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Greenville, South Carolina.
• TSgt. Grady S. Gaston (38038802): Buried in Baas Memorial Cemetery, Frisco City, Alabama.
• Sgt. Loy L. Wilson (19051502): Buried at Riverside Cemetery, Mifflin Township, Ohio.

References

1. Pacific Wrecks: B-24D "Little Eva".
2. Monument Australia: "Little Eva" Crash Memorial.
3. John Alcorn, The Jolly Rogers, Temple City, CA, 1981.
4. Wiley Woods, Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group, Turner Publishing, Paducah, Kentucky.
5. Jim Eames, The Searchers: The Quest for Lost Aircraft in the Southwest Pacific, 1999.
6. Barry Ralph, Savage Wilderness, 2004.
7. James A. McMurria, Fight for Survival, 1995.

Recommended Reading

1. Savage Wilderness: The Epic Outback Search For The Crew Of Little Eva by Barry Ralph (2004)
2. The Searchers: The Quest for Lost Aircraft in the Southwest Pacific by Jim Eames (1999)
3. Fight for Survival by James A. McMurria
4. The Jolly Rogers: The 90th Bombardment Group in the Southwest Pacific 1942–1944 by John Alcorn (1981)
5. Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group by Wiley Woods (1998)
6. Doomed From the Start: The Story of the 90th Bomb Group in World War II by Ron J. Greer (1995)
7. The Crash of Little Eva, The Ultimate World War II Survivor Story by Barry Raplh