9 4 4 . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁had ▁been ▁task ed ▁with ▁flying ▁prisoners , ▁including ▁US ▁Military ▁prisoners , ▁from ▁Cook town ▁to ▁Port ▁M ores by . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁prisoners ▁being ▁transport ed ▁to ▁the ▁aircraft ▁on ▁board ▁a ▁launch ▁seized ▁a ▁gun ▁from ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁gu ards ▁then ▁dis ar med ▁the ▁other ▁gu ards . ▁When ▁the ▁boat ▁reached ▁the ▁S under land ▁he ▁tried ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁prisoners ▁emb ark ed ▁on ▁the ▁plane ▁to ▁assist ▁him , ▁but ▁they ▁were ▁unw illing . ▁The ▁boat ▁then ▁preced ed ▁to ▁a ▁jet ty ▁in ▁Cook town ▁Har bour ▁where ▁the ▁man ▁was ▁persu aded ▁to ▁surrender . ▁No . ▁ 4 0 ▁Squadron ▁suffered ▁its ▁only ▁loss ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁November ▁when ▁a ▁S under land ▁struck ▁a ▁post ▁and ▁s ank ▁after ▁landing ▁at ▁Town sv ille ; ▁there ▁were ▁no ▁fatal ities . ▁ ▁The ▁squad ron ▁occasionally ▁performed ▁other ▁tasks ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁its ▁regular ▁transport ▁f ights . ▁On ▁ 9 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁S under lands ▁land ed ▁on ▁a ▁small ▁lake ▁in ▁an ▁isolated ▁area ▁of ▁New ▁Guinea ▁to ▁rel ieve ▁an ▁Army ▁g arrison ▁force . ▁No . ▁ 4 0 ▁Squadron ▁also ▁under to ok ▁air ▁sea ▁rescue ▁duties ▁on ▁several ▁occasions . ▁On ▁ 2 0 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁a ▁S under land ▁located ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁of ▁a ▁crash ed ▁C - 4 7