on 3 march 1942 , unk , a douglas unk airliner operated by unk , was shot down Use_firearm over western australia by imperial japanese navy air service Supply fighter aircraft , resulting in Causation the deaths Death of four passengers and the loss Earnings_and_losses of diamonds worth an estimated unk ( the equivalent of a $ unk million in 2010 ) .

It is widely believed that the diamonds were stolen Theft following the crash , although no-one has ever been convicted of a crime in relation to their disappearance Departing .

During the first year of the war , the RUF took Conquering control of large swathes of territory in eastern and southern Sierra Leone , which were rich in alluvial diamonds .