USAAF
5th AF
43rd BG
403rd BS
December
23, 1943
David Gillis 1969
Richard Leahy 1989
Justin
Taylan 2004
Pilot 1st Lt Dewitt P. Johnson
Force Landed December 23, 1943
Mission History
Flew an armed reconnaissance mission over Wewak and
attacked a freighter near But. Attacked by two fighters, it had its
hydraulics shot out and was badly damaged. Two of the crew were injured
by the fighter attack. It made a force landing at the emergency landing
ground at Faita,
and was abandoned there. Later, it was stripped of gear by the military and fuselage cut into two pieces.
Recovery
In the late 1990's the
wings of were recovered, and used in Werribee
B-24 restoration.
Justin Taylan adds:
"I visited this wreck in August 2004, it did not look much like an airplane
anymore. The tail and wings were removed, and the waist section
was cut into two pieces - top and bottom halves and remain. The
cockpit section remains, but had been gutted either during the
war or by the recovery team."
References
AWM has photos of this aircraft after it force landed: 63274-77.
B-24
