Aircraft History
This Airacobra was officially condemned by the USAAF on October 31, 1944.

Flown from Garbutt Airfield near Townsville area via Cairns to Horn Island, then to New Guinea to 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on April 30, 1942, timed to arrive after noon, to avoid any Japanese air raid.

Mission History
Took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby at 13:00. One of eleven Airacobra led by Lt. Col Boyd D. "Buzz" Wagner on a strafing mission against Lae Airfield, the 8th Fighter Group's first combat mission. The AIracobras strafed the airfield at 14:37, hitting parked aircraft and seaplanes, then departed. A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kokutai scrambled, and attacked the Airacobras while they were near Salamaua.

This Airacobra was last seen 20 miles southeast of Lae, 20 miles south of Salamaua. Missing after a long running dogfight, off Lababia Island.

Edward Rogers adds:
"It was common knowledge in the 8th FG that Durand was captured and executed but there has been no verification of this in Japanese records or by ANGAU/NGVR/ Spotters."

Naming Honor
The airstrip of 17-Mile (Waigani) was renamed 'Durand' in his honor.

John C. Durand adds:
"The story of Lt. Durand is poignant. He married his college sweetheart just before his unit was shipped to Australia. After the war his widow, Dorothy married another airman that both Lt. Durand and she probably knew as both men were from Wisconsin and apparently attended flight school together. Dorothy lived out her life in California and had three children by her second husband, but I’ve been unable to contact them. Somewhere in my research I learned, although I can’t remember where now that Dorothy appears to have made a trip to New Guinea after the war to try to discover Lt. Durand’s gravesite. Despite extensive research I have yet to discover a photograph of Lt. Durand in uniform. Any help in this matter will be much appreciated. Lt. Durand was an only child, and his extended family was not large, there appear to be no surviving relatives who might have known Lt. Durand before his death."

Edward Rogers adds:
"It was "common knowledge" at Port Moresby that Durand had been captured and executed by Japanese forces. I can find no accounts of these reports in any Australian or Japanese records. The allied pilots who were known to be captured in April and May 1942 in the Lae area were immediately sent to Rabaul for interrogation where all were eventually executed. It doesn't make sense for him to be captured and executed w/o being sent to Rabaul first but it's possible that occurred. So, what did happen to him? Possible causes of death: exposure/ hunger, injury, natives friendly to Japanese, Japanese forces, killed resisting capture.

The best published account of Durand's final mission is found in "Attack and Conquer: The 8th Fighter Group in World War II" (Schiffer 1995) by John Stanaway with Lawrence Hickey. While I have most of the P-39's pilot's reports on this mission none of them discuss the fate of Durand. Lt. Durand, flying P-39 #7128 took part in the 8th FG's strafing attack on Japanese planes and installations at Lae and Salamaua on 30 April 1942. He was seen bailing out SE of Mubo.

?Lababia [island south of Salamaua] patrol reports remains of allied plane no. 7128 in sea near Lababia. Pilot not in wreckage and no trace in locality.? [I believe that this report was made by New Guinea Volunteer Rifles."

References
Thanks to Damian Waters, Edward Rogers and Michael Claringbould for additional information.

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

P-39

MIA