13 Jul 2023

The Iconic WW2 History of Vansittart Bay

With Heritage Adventurer anchored off shore of the collection of pristine white beach islands that form Vansittart Bay, we hopped into our Zodiacs and skipped over incredible turquoise waters eager to immerse ourselves in an iconic Australian site of fascinating WWII history.

Named after the Chancellor of Exchequer by early explorer Rear Admiral Philip Parker King, Vansittart Bay weaves the epic scenery of a striking, naturally protected bay framed by scattered jagged sandstone monoliths with an incredible tale of survival. A highlight, of course, was exploring the final resting place of the preserved skeleton of a Douglas DC-3 (C-53) Skytrooper which crash landed onto the saltpan on 26 February 1942 after running out of fuel during a mercy mission to evacuate four Dutch citizens from Java.

The opportunity to experience history come to life and walk in the footsteps of the 6 lucky survivors as we explored these beautiful but unforgiving surrounds was equal parts fascinating and humbling with much to discuss in the air conditioned comfort of Heritage Adventurer's bar during pre-dinner drinks.

Image (c) by: C.Finch