RNZAF P-40K '7' at Guadalcanal

[davidd]

Dave, pilots of 15 Sqdn whilst in Tonga flew mainly the 21 P-40E Kittyhawks (with USAAF 41-serials AND RAF serials), which carried codes between 1 and 24 (minus 17 to 19). They also had two P-40K-1s (short fuselage with the rather ugly vertical fin peculiar to this sub-type, 42-45958, -45959), coded 0 and 25 respectively, which were obviously replacement for the lost P-40Es (these were lost with the 68th Fighter Sqdn, USAAF). So yes, the a/c flown by Davis (always known as Max, he was introduced to me as such many years ago) in Tonga and to E/Santo (P-40E 41-25125, coded 7, later NZ3097) was quite a different aircraft to NZ3056/7, which he later flew to Guadalcanal. Note that Port Vila (not Villa) was in the then-New Hebrides (not New Caledonia).
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks David, I thought that would be the case but thought it worth checking.

Villa is how he wrote it. And yes, i got my new Scottish islands mixed up.