Croc with No Tears - a true story

While in the northern territory, during WW11, with the 2/4th Australian Pioneer Battalion and in a defensive position, during and after the first air raid on Darwin 1942, American troops were keen to buy souvenirs of anything to do with the Northern Territory.

They would buy trinkets made in the shape of rings, pendants or Japanese swords (made from Jeep sprints) and articles made from the material of the first zero and Japanese bomber shot down during the first raid on Darwin.

There fondness for these items kept us busy with plenty of great ideas but we had few tools to work with.

We got the bright idea that crocodile teeth would be a good line to promote and after a few enquiries found that the Yanks would pay good money for them in whatever form they could be produced.

Crocs were rather plentiful in the creeks and rivers near were we camped but not easy to trap or capture for the removal of their teeth.

We needed to organise a crew of volunteers to capture a croc.

After much debate, it was decided to toss a couple of hand grenades into the local swimming hole and see what happened.

On the big day, with plenty of help at hand it happened.

Two grenades and swimmers with ropes at the ready we decided that four grenades would be twice as good so at the signal in went the grenades and after four spouts of water from around the pool, up floated our croc about 10 foot long.

It looked twice that length when laid out on the bank.

Ropes were attached and we decided not to kill the croc but to endeavour to extract a few teeth then let him go as the experts said he would grow a few more teeth without any trouble.

Now we had our croc all tied up and had left the head free to get at his teeth.

We rammed a heavy stick in his mouth to keep his jaws open and things were going well and according to plan.

We had some tongs and a large pair of pliers for the extraction but these tools turned out to be useless.

Then we came up with the old string around the tooth and door knob trick but had to make a few modifications - first the string became a strong piece of rope and the door became a Jeep with four- wheel-drive.

So rope was attached to the tooth and rear of the Jeep with as many troops as possible on top of the croc to keep him down.

The signal was given and off went the Jeep until, with wheels spinning and dust flying everywhere, the croc started to move.

The troops were shaken off one after another until the Jeep towing the croc by the rope attached to his tooth took of through the scrub with the croc at the end of the rope.

It slid headfirst into a large tree trunk and out came the tooth.

As this happened, the ropes slid off from around his body and he disappeared into the undergrowth.

The tooth was a beauty and well worth the effort.

With one tooth and 10 men to share, it was decided to raffle it.

The raffle was won by Geoff Turner.

I wonder where that croc tooth is today.

Snow Dicker, September 20