B-17 Weather Incident at Nadi

[steveb]

I’m still trying to establish the date of a 1943 weather incident involving a B-17, flown by Lt William Ripley.

The B-17 was one of two that took off from Nadi early morning sometime between 20 January and April 27 1943 (most likely the February-March period).

The two B-17s encountered extreme weather around midday. One diverted to Espiritu Santo but the other flew into the front. It barely survived but made it back to Fiji about 1745 that evening. It was damaged but repairable.

The following day all the B-17s based at Nadi – a figure between five and 10 – were flown out to other bases as a precaution, returning an unknown number of days later.

This is driving me crazy. I believe the story is true, but the only way I can think of to identify when it happened is to find a time when B-17 patrols from Nadi – and probably other aircraft movements –were suspended for a day or two – or three, or four.

Thanks!

[Dave Homewood]

I just had a search of Papers Past for that period and found absolutely no mention of 'hurricane', 'cyclone', 'storm' or weather' connected with Fiji in the newspapers.

[steveb]

Thanks Dave - I believe the "hurricane" was anticipated but never eventuated, at least as far as Fiji was concerned - passed to the north. Just torrential rain and wind, but the B-17s had already been sent elsewhere.

Steve

[Dave Homewood]

Any idea if it hit elsewhere that was populated as there may have been reports which will give you a date.

[steveb]

Sadly no.

Steve

[steveb]

Still getting no closer to finding the answer to this, but I need to find out when it happened so I can slot it in the right place in a history of the 394th Bomb Squadron that I’m working on.

All I know for sure is that the B-17s, after being tied down overnight, were flown out of Nadi as a precaution the next morning. Can’t be sure of the exact number of planes because one had diverted to Espiritu Santo the previous day and others may have been elsewhere for maintenance. Whether a couple were held back to fly patrols, or for any other reason, is unknown. Certainly no more than eleven.

As it turned out the so-called hurricane passed to the north of Fiji, but the B-17s did not return to Nadi until, my best source says, three days
later. I’m pretty certain at least some went to Samoa, because I have a report of the returning crews talking ehthusiastically about the cold beer
there.

The date must be somewhere between January 20 and April 14 1943, but I know that isn’t much help.

The only clues I can think of would be in the aircraft movements from Nadi. Perhaps a day when two B-17s set out in the morning on a routine search mission and only one returned that day (at 1745 I'm told) to Nadi. Then the next day there was a larger-than-normal B-17 movement, a suspension of the B-17 searches for a day or two, then a larger-than-normal movement of B-17s back into Nadi.

Also keen to know when comedian Joe E. Brown put on his one-man show at Nadi – pretty sure all RNZAF personnel would have been invited.