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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2019 15:03:27 GMT 12
Does anyone have the serial number for the P-40 that ran off the runway at Guadalcanal on the 8th of July 1943, suffering an undercarriage collapse and damage to the airscrew? I cannot find an accident report for that date that pinpoints the serial.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2019 15:07:13 GMT 12
And there is nothing in the Operation Record Book either for No. 14 Squadron mentioning the accident, but it seems it was F/O Ted 'Butch' Avery flying it at the time.
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Post by camtech on Oct 21, 2019 19:49:14 GMT 12
Quick look, Dave, and the only one I can find is NZ3053 collided with NZ3078 on the runway at Guadalcanal, with 14 Sqn, dated 30 June 43. File 25/2/967. Fg Off Avery is shown as the pilot in my list.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2019 19:54:21 GMT 12
Yep, that is not the aircraft I am looking for. I have been through all the accident reports for that month and around then listed on the Archives NZ site and nothing matches.
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Post by camtech on Oct 21, 2019 20:02:10 GMT 12
It seems that quite a few "mishaps" were not recorded, or quietly overlooked, as accidents. Perhaps the only record may be in the squadron's Intelligence Officers notes, if any were made.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2019 20:14:09 GMT 12
Possibly it was reported but the paperwork was not kept for the Archives. Sounds like more than just a five minute repair. I cannot find anything in the No. 1 Servicing Unit ORB either. The only mention was in a personal diary of the Engineer Officer of the S.U.
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Post by camtech on Oct 21, 2019 20:59:24 GMT 12
Checking through the list of files, I see that two numbers are missing - 25/2/966 and 25/2/968 that are around that time period.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 21, 2019 21:40:18 GMT 12
Hmm, typical. Thanks Les.
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Post by davidd on Oct 22, 2019 8:10:49 GMT 12
The runway collision ,mentioned as taking place at Guadalcanal on 30th June 1943 actually occurred at the Russells (on the North, Fighter strip), info from 25/2/967, other pilot was F/O C T Guild (killed in 3078).
On 8th July 1943, Avery is stated to have been flying aircraft "22". He was one of eight pilots up in late morning on a routine Rendova patrol. "As our aircraft left station, the Japs attacked; no contact." (From 14 Sqdn Forms 540, 541). On 5th July, 1943, 14 Sqdn (1 FMU) at Kukum Strip, Guadalcanal, had a total of 17 P-40s on strength. This is only strength figure for July 1943 available.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 22, 2019 9:10:06 GMT 12
Yep. It is that number, '22', that I am trying to match to a serial, as we do not yet have a match for 22. So I thought there would be an accident report that revealed the serial, but alas it seems to not be in the archive.
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Post by McFly on Oct 22, 2019 11:45:43 GMT 12
These may be of some interest...  Negative Number: PR1230 Caption: Members of the 1 Fighter Maintenance Unit groundcrew holding the damaged rudder from 14 Squadron pilot Flying Officer E. L. Avery's Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Guadalcanal. Further Information: See Contact, May 1944, page 26. Avery's aircraft was damaged 4 July 1943. Year of Image: 1943 Image Date Information: Circa July 1943.  Negative Number: PR1237 Caption: Members of the 1 Fighter Maintenance Unit groundcrew holding the damaged rudder from 14 Squadron pilot Flying Officer E. L. Avery's Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Guadalcanal. Further Information: Avery's aircraft was damaged 4 July 1943. Year of Image: 1943 Image Date Information: Circa July 1943.  Negative Number: PR1482 Caption: 14 Squadron pilot Flying Officer E. L. Avery posing with part of the extensively damaged tailplane from his Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Further Information: Year of Image: 1943 Image Date Information: Circa 1943.  Negative Number: PR1160 Caption: Ground crew with the shot up tail unit from 14 Squadron pilot Flying Officer E. L. Avery's Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk. Guadalcanal. Further Information: Avery's aircraft was damaged 4 July 1943. Year of Image: 1943 Image Date Information: Circa July 1943.  (All photos Air Force Museum) |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 22, 2019 15:50:28 GMT 12
That day, 4th of July 1943, in Marty's photos was when eight P-40's of No. 14 (Fighter) Squadron took on 80 Japanese fighters, and Geoff Fisken shot down three of them (he was in NZ3060), and Ron Nairn in NZ3057 '5' got one confirmed and one probable.
Stan Quill took a round through the shoulder and belly landed his P-40 NZ3065 '29' on Russell Island but he survived, and Nairn also landed there. Plus Polson's aircraft, NZ3079, was hit but got back safely too, like Avery's.
Edwin 'Butch'Avery was flying '21' that day, another of the aircraft we do not yet know the serial for.
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Post by McFly on Oct 22, 2019 16:11:10 GMT 12
The runway collision ,mentioned as taking place at Guadalcanal on 30th June 1943 actually occurred at the Russells (on the North, Fighter strip), info from 25/2/967, other pilot was F/O C T Guild (killed in 3078).  Negative Number: PR861 Caption: 14 Squadron pilot Flying Officer C. T.Guild. Year of Image: 1943 (Photo Air Force Museum) |
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Post by camtech on Oct 22, 2019 19:54:41 GMT 12
Just had a look at a couple of photos, and it would appear that our mystery P40 is probably NZ3064, Played around with photoshop to enhance the details, and in one photo, which appears to have the rudder sitting behind the aircraft, the serial NZ3064 is barely visible. In the second most of the serial is just discernible.
Having problems signing in to flickr.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 22, 2019 20:29:05 GMT 12
NZ3064 was '20'
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