Corsair pilots Flt/Sgt Bennett and F/O Vraughan rescued

[chinapilot]

29 January 1945

Flt/Sgt Bennett, on a Vunakanau strike, ditched after engine problems.
He was 10 miles north of Urara Island, off Cape Liguan, New Britain.

A VPB-44 PBY-5A flown by Lt. P.H. Vaughn, who was on a Dumbo mission covering the strike, picked Bennett up after about 10 minutes in the water and returned him to base at Emirau.

29 March 1945

Two Emirau-based Corsairs acting as escorts for a VPB-44 PBY-5A on a Dumbo mission collided about 25-30 miles southeast of Dyaul Island (west coast of New Ireland)

F/O H.C. Vraughan ditched and was picked up by the PBY-5A that they were escorting flown by Lt.M.R. Bowyer.

The other Corsair pilot (not named) bailed out and landed near where his aircraft had impacted. He was not seen again and Lt. Bowyer searched until he had only enough fuel to return to base.

[camtech]

From FYT Vol 2: The two aircraft were NZ5430 (P/O H C Brougham) and NZ5450 (F/O V J Mortensen), both of 23 Squadron. NZ5450's tail sliced off by other aircraft during crossover. Mortensen baled out but no trace found. Brougham ditched and was picked up by the Catalina they were escorting. The date quoted is 28 March.

Bennett's aircraft was NZ5436, 23 Squadron

[Dave Homewood]

Victor Mortensen was from Cambridge.

www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Victor%20Mortensen.html

[davidd]

Interesting that Vraughan became P H Vaughn (Catalina pilot), then to H C Vraughan (Corsair pilot), when all the time he was H C Brougham!! Must have been entered in the records with a very cranky typewriter (and I am being generous!) Apologies to the poster, I'm certain he mis not the culprit here.

As for F/Sgt Bennett, this was .......
NZC43454/13xxxx, F/Sgt Ronald Stembridge BENNETT (with 22 Sqdn, completed all 3 tours with this unit, the incident detailed above occurred during his 2nd tour.)