by Greg Powell

Towards the end of 1971, five like- minded people from different work places in Port Moresby came together to plan a trip to climb Mt Wilhelm, the highest point in Papua New Guinea. The walk would take place over the New Year break and the participants had a variety of reasons to attempt the expedition. All thought it a good opportunity to get away from the heat of the coast and to feel “cold!” This would prove to be an understatement and one of the party would not return.

This is my diary written during and just after the trip and transferred to digital form in July 2016, 45 years after the tragedy. Maps and photos also accompany this diary.

Monday, 27 December 1971

We left Port Moresby at 7am for Goroka. The weather was hot and fine but at 14 000 feet altitude the outside temperature was freezing.

We arrived in Goroka and arranged a charter flight to Keglsugl. After a very cramped and anxious flight in the small single- engine plane we touched down at Keglsugl at 8 500 feet – the highest in PNG and the second highest strip in the Southern Hemisphere.

In our planning we had been in contact with the mission station here to seek information, maps and guides. After selecting a few porters and guides we began the climb along the road at 12.30 pm. The weather was mild and fine. We followed along the river and then onto the steep zig-zag track up the mountain which was a very hard climb. We came out in a long tree- fern valley with a waterfall at its head.

After following the valley we climbed beside the waterfall and Lakes Camp came into view on the shore of the lower lake, Lake Piunde, at 11 200 feet. The Council Hut was full with other climbers so we camped in an old Kunai Hut for the night and decided to make the climb to the summit early in the morning. It was a very cold and clear night.

Lower lake and observatory

Kunai hut with Council hut beyond

Tuesday, 28 December 1971

The morning was cold and clear when Bob Woods, Jeff Saddler, John the guide and I set off at 6 am to climb Mt. Wilhelm. Chris Donnan and John Kinna would climb it tomorrow as Chris was not feeling well that day. (John Kinna would not climb to the summit at all).

After the hardest climb in my life we reached the summit at 9.30 am. The weather was mild and clear and snow was lying in patches in the rocks. After signing the visitor’s book we left the summit.

The Summit of Mt Wilhelm

On the Summit

At 11am, we met Chris at Saddle Camp on his way to the summit. He said he was feeling better so I decided to wait for him while he climbed to the trig. We had a brief chat and Chris seemed well and in good spirits. The others began the descent to our camp. The weather was hot and clear as I watched Chris follow the track around the rocky ridge and then he went over a rise out of sight and I saw him no more. I lay down in the grass to have a sleep but it was too hot. I even put handkerchiefs over my bare legs to protect them from the sun.

By 12.30pm it was snowing and cloudy. Chris had not returned so I decided to go up the track looking and calling for him. I left a note at Saddle Camp stating, “Chris not back yet, have gone up trail to look, weak and cold myself. Have red parka on.”

I climbed to the trig again but he had not signed the book. Visibility was now zero. I returned to Saddle Camp at 14 020 feet and erected a rough shelter from some plastic that I had found. I took off my shirt and spray jacket and left them in the shelter with some chocolate and a note in case Chris came back. He had no waterproof clothing himself. I still wore my army jumper. I could hardly move my fingers now and the hail was heavier. At 3.30pm. I left Saddle Camp and headed off down the windswept rainy mountain to spread the alarm.

At 8pm a message was sent with the native guide, John, to Keglsugl and then to Gembogl and on to the Army.

Wednesday, 29 December 1971

Bob, Jeff, a doctor and eleven other people who were in the area set off at 6am to climb the mountain to search in cloudy, wet and cold conditions. I stayed back to direct searchers and to recover from yesterday. I could pick out the search party as they climbed to the 14 000 feet level at around 8.30 am. The weather was clearing.

John arrived with the first Kiap (Patrol Officer) and his assistant and they set off up the mountain. Other searchers were at Keglsugl. I heard a helicopter overhead but could not see it for cloud and it could not land so it went away. This was my first realisation that a big search was underway.

More Kiaps arrived and set up base camp in the ANU (Australian National University) Research Hut. Searchers returned from the mountain with no sign at all of Chris. The weather was clouding in again and hail and sleet was falling on the tops. It was over 24 hours now since Chris disappeared.

At 3.30pm a civilian helicopter landed at the Lakes Camp at 11 200feet, outside the ANU Hut, and then headed off to search before the clouds came in again. All searchers returned. Villages below the mountain had been notified. Radios, a stretcher, rock rescue gear and an oxygen bottle were brought up to Lakes Camp.

By 7pm I was in bed in the Council Hut. It was very, very cold and I was to climb the mountain again tomorrow and camp on top. I was not looking forward to tomorrow.

Thursday, 30 December 1971

At 6am the weather was fine but this was to be a hard day. The helicopter was back again and a small plane was searching overhead and above the peaks. The Jimi River police patrol had set off to climb Wilhelm from the other side.

Bob, Jeff and John K left for Keglsugl. Police radio networks were now co-ordinating the air search. At 7.30am the porters set off with gear for the first base camp at Ridge Camp.
At 8am we started our climb. A false alarm object was sighted.

At 9.45am we established Ridge Camp at 13 200 feet. The tents were erected and the porters returned for more gear. After a quick lunch in cold, cloudy and windy weather, six of us pushed on to establish Summit Camp. It was a long hard climb as we were carrying full packs now and the visibility was zero.

We established Summit Camp at 3pm at an altitude of 14 600 feet. The tent was erected on rocks in the freezing cold wind. I sent a telegram for my parents, back with Dr Bill Lynden. Steve, Fred and I stayed in the tent for the rest of the day. It was too cold outside. It had been over 48 hours now since Chris disappeared. The night was very uncomfortable with a freezing cold gale blowing outside the tent.

Heading up to establish Summit Camp td>

Ice sheets on the tent at Summit Camp

Friday, 31 December 1971.

It was a clear, freezing and windy morning. I knew now that if Chris was still on this mountain, that he was surely dead. We all hoped that he had made it to lower country.

At 7am we radioed the ANU Hut. The Army was at Keglsugl and an Army helicopter was on the way. We had been ordered back to Ridge Camp. It was too cold to stay too long at this altitude.

Our crisp morning view was out over the mist filled Ramu Valley to Madang and across the Bismarck Sea to Karkar Island and Bagabag Island on the horizon.

By 7.30am an Army Pilatus Porter plane was searching overhead, as well as a yellow helicopter. Steve went back down but Fred and I stayed to search the maze of rocks, cliffs, peaks and creeks around the summit area.

View of Karkar Is., Madang and the Coast from the Summit

Search Area

At 11.30 we returned to Summit Camp after an unsuccessful search. I was exhausted and was glad to collapse in the tent. It was now cold and cloudy with zero visibility. The aircraft had returned to Keglsugl.

At 12.15 pm we started back with full packs. My boots were rubbing the back of my ankles and I was feeling ill from the altitude. We passed two Kiaps and a Police Officer and carriers on their way up to Ridge Camp. I eventually cut the ankles out of my boots with a razor blade.

I was thankful for a carrier who came out to the waterfall to carry my pack. There were 27 troops from 1PIR (Pacific Islands Regiment) 2Platoon, B Company in camp at the lakes with radio contact to Taurama Barracks.

By 6pm I was settled in the ANU Hut on a foam mattress and with blankets. It was cold and wet and other than a few New Year greetings from Ridge Camp over the radio, the old year passed and the new one arrived unnoticed.

Saturday, 1 January 1972, New Year’s Day

At 7am, two sections of PIR soldiers set off heavily laden but well equipped, yet with inadequate sleeping quarters for 14 000 feet where they were to camp. The conditions were fine, clear and cool. One section headed up the northern ridge to search the other side of the lakes area.

By noon, in cloudy and cold weather, reports were received that two soldiers were sick on the northern ridge. They radioed for carriers and they were returning to the lakes. The mostly coastal soldiers were not used to the altitude, exposure and temperature.

A visiting American (who did not give his name) from Gembogl brought batteries up to the Lakes Camp for police radios. The patrols returned with headaches and altitude sickness.

Saddle Camp was established at 14 020 feet where I last spoke to Chris. At 7pm a party of hikers arrived at ANU Hut. The night was cold and rainy.

Sunday, 2 January 1972

The morning was fine and cold and at 8am I left the ANU Hut in charge of a patrol of PIR soldiers to try to reach the summit from the northern ridge before the cloud came in. I had to send two back because they complained of headaches and would only slow us down. We were still in view of the huts.

By 10.30 am we were climbing over sheer pinnacles of rock. The north coast and Karkar Island were visible 150 km away. We caught sight of the Saddle Camp tents across the valley, then the cloud rolled in and visibility was zero. We had a tea break and I decided to not go any further, but to drop down 1 500 feet and search the lakes area.

The Pilatus Porter was trying to come in under the clouds to drop supplies to the Lakes Camp. We could not see it, but could only hear it, below us. The radio reported that the search was to be called off tomorrow.

We searched the upper valley of the top lake, Lake Aunde, through moss forest and swampy grasslands and returned around the side of the lakes. Apart from a few headaches, my patrol went well.

The Jimi River patrol arrived at Lakes Camp after a four day climb up the other side of Mt. Wilhelm. Nothing was found in any of the searches at higher altitudes.

I was back in the ANU Hut for the night.

Monday, 3 January 1972

At 8am a Kiap and carriers headed up the mountain to search and to bring back the gear from the high camps. The Pilatus Porter was searching overhead.

The Jimi River police patrol went back to Keglsugl and by 1pm the carriers were returning with the gear from the higher camps: stretcher, oxygen cylinder, first aid gear, ration packs etc. The visibility was zero. The civilian search was now over.

By 4.30pm with cold rain falling, the search parties and Army patrols had all returned from Mt. Wilhelm after four nights at Saddle Camp. There was no one up there now. We all sat about in the warm ANU Hut and discussed a wide range of topics as well as the search.

Tuesday, 4 January 1972

It was a bitterly cold morning. The helicopter was overhead and after packing all the gear we made the long trek back down to Keglsugl leaving the Army to continue the search. I had looked after Chris’ gear all this time and carried both mine and his gear most of the way back down. It was a very slippery and uncomfortable descent.

Keglsugl- Awaiting transport to Kundiawa

Search helicopter at Kundiawa

It was warm and fine when we arrived at Keglsugl at 11am. I went back to Kundiawa in the powerful Pilatus Porter aircraft – the first time I had experienced its power close up. I made a statement to police in Kundiawa where I saw a coffin that had been supplied. I then went on to Goroka where I contacted the Scout Leader in the town so that I could stay in the Scout Hall overnight. It was a lonely night with just Chris’ gear for company.

The next day I arranged a ticket on a commercial flight back to Port Moresby.

The search participants:

Original walking party
Greg Powell – Goldie River Army Training Depot
Christopher Donnan – Murray Barracks
Bob Woods –Crown Law, Port Moresby
Jeff Saddler – D.A.S.F, Port Moresby
John Kinna – Crown Law, Port Moresby
John – local guide, Keglsugl Mission Station

Civilian searchers –
Mr. Doolan – District Commissioner, Kundiawa
Morrie Brown – A.D.C, Kundiawa
Bevan Scott – Patrol Officer, Karamu
Kevin Wilde – Police Officer, Kundiawa
Bill Sanders – Patrol Officer, Kundiawa
Steve Daniels – Patrol Officer, Gembogl
Gil Schilling – Patrol Officer, Gembogl
Burnie Maume – Assistant D.C, Gembogl
Phil Rodden – D.A.S.F, Gembogl
Paul Luama – D.D.A, Gembogl
Fred Pratt – Kennecott surveyor
Joseph Umbo – Gembogl local
Bill Lyndon – NSW Uni, Medicine
Un-named American, Gembogl

Army searchers –

2nd Lt. Nuia & 27 soldiers from 2 Platoon, B Company, 1Pacific Islands Regiment.

The Sergeant Christopher Donnan Memorial Trust Fund

In May 1972 this trust fund was set up by Chris’s colleagues and was administered from the Education Section, PNG Command, Murray Barracks, PNG. The fund was in memory of Chris Donnan, who vanished without trace while climbing Papua New Guinea’s highest mountain; Mt. Wilhelm.

The aim of the fund was to give children with potential, but who came from poor families, an opportunity to attend or continue high school.

Fundraising was held and donations were called for. I put together a slide show of the climb and the following search which amazed all who saw it as that sort of PNG terrain was little known. Donations were received wherever the slide show was shown. I was to return to Australia around this time so I couldn’t follow through with this. Others willingly carried out the tasks. Before I left I had arranged to have a memorial plaque made in Australia. My parents, Steve and June brought it up when they visited me. The plaque cost $60 for manufacture and installation. The amount was deducted from the trust fund.

On 13 June 1972, three RAAEC Sergeants, Doug Rathbone, Bill Semple and Bob Strachan flew by Pilatus Porter to Keglsugl and hiked up to the ANU Hut. On the 14th, the trio climbed for 3.5 hours to Saddle Camp, using a rough sketch map that I had drawn of the location where Chris was last seen.

It was a difficult task and it took three hours to install the plaque on a hard rock face above eye level. The trio was disappointed that they had no time to climb to the summit but getting the plaque done properly was the main concern. They returned to the ANU Hut in heavy cloud. Next day the group returned to Keglsugl where the Pilatus Porter flew them to Lae. Next day they returned to Port Moresby by Caribou. This expedition was supported by the Army.

Chris’ parents Noel and Jean Donnan of Westmead gave their approval for the installation of the plaque. They found the design most suitable and thought it would serve as a warning to others climbing the mountain when they reached this spot. They hoped that someday other members of the family will visit the mountain and perhaps see this token of our remembrance.

Post script
by Doug Rathbone (one of the RAAEC Sergeants who installed the Plaque) dated 7 October 1972:

“Early in September 1972 a report came through that a body had been located near Bundi, along with an Army bush hat and a pair of Army boots. It was suggested that it could be that of Chris Donnan.
Sgt Ken Stewart, who had also known Chris, was sent off to Bundi, on what was called a “body identification task”. In fact it was a long way out of Bundi at Kamanogoi and Ken accompanied a Kiap and patrol to the spot. The very long and round- about route followed is marked by a dotted line on a sketch map supplied elsewhere.

At Point 1, a human thigh bone had been found, which Ken obtained from villagers. They seemed pretty certain that it belonged to a European. It was found in the creek obviously washed down from up-stream. This creek is a tributary of the Imbrum River which flows directly from the summit of Mt. Wilhelm.

Ken Stewart stopped at Point I, due to exhaustion, while the patrol pushed on to Point 2, about 3.5 miles upstream, where the boots and bush hat had been found. At this point there was a rough lean-to of sorts built right at the edge of the high water mark of the creek. (Apparently also this spot had been the site, some time ago, of a Kennecott mineral exploration site.)

Ken said he thought the evidence was strong enough to suggest the pieces belonged to Chris. I don’t know – boots, hat and one bone is not a lot of evidence, even though it’s a feasible place. I understand the Coroner would make a decision from there. I guess this information will have raised more questions than answers.”

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