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| USAAF 5th AF 49th FG 8th FS  Thorvaldson 1943  Thorvaldson Sept 22 1943  
 John Douglas 2004  Justin Taylan 2006 |
Pilot 1st
Lt Joel D. Thorvaldson, O-727586 (survived) Spanish Fork, UT Crashed September 13, 1943 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-40N-5-CU Warhawk serial number 42-104977. Disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 49th Fighter Group (49th FG), 8th Fighter Squadron (8th FS). Assigned to pilot 1st Lt. Joel D. Thorvaldson with squadron number 55. The right side of the plane was decorated by the crew chief, who nicknamed the aircraft "Mr. Five by Five". The left side was "Punkins" in block letters Thorvaldson's nickname for his wife. During 1943, this P-40 operated from Horanda Airfield (Dobodura 4) and later from Tsili Tsili Airfield. Later in 1943, equipped with bomb racks and used on at least one bombing against Japanese targets in the Ramu Valley armed with two 265 pound bombs. Mission History On September 13, 1943 took off from Tsili Tsili Airfield piloted by 1st Lt Joel D. Thorvaldson on a mission to intercept Japanese fighters over Tsili Tsili. During the combat, this P-40 was hit and the engine started to malfunction and later caught fire. Damaged, Thorvaldson made a force landing north of Lae near the junction of the Waffia River and Markham River and landed unhurt. Joel D. Thorvaldson recalls: "I'm interested in photographic evidence of enemy bullet holes in my engine section. My left hand was wounded but I never got my Purple Heart because I couldn't prove I was shot. The command denied my Silver Star also, they acted like it was a mechanical problem. I was shooting without a gun sight, and a damaged prop." Fate of the Pilot After the force landing, Thorvaldson found himself in tall kunai grass and used his flare gun to burn the grass. He then made made his way to the nearest river and was dropped a life raft by a friendly plane and floated down the river until he was found by the Australian Army and returned to his squadron. Joel D. Thorvaldson recalls: "When I got on the ground, the kunai grass was so high, I fired a flare to burn the grass. They knew i was out there. A friendly plane spotted me on a river bank and dropped me a raft that I used to go down the nearby Ramu River. It took me nine days to get back. At the mouth of the River, the Australians picked me up. They had only taken Lae two days before they picked me up. I had gotten credited for one kill before I even got back, because everyone had seen me shoot this plane down over the strip. I was the first rescue for the squadron too, they did a victory roll for me when I got back. I claimed 2 and a bomber. I was supposed to get a purple heart for my wounds but they said my plane crashed from mechanical failure, not enemy fire, so I didn't get it. Now, from your photos of the wreck, it looks like it will finally get my purple heart! I did see a piece go by in the air, but had no idea they even hit me. Wreckage The wreckage included the tail group, engine and some of the wing section. There is proof of bullet holes and damage to the engine and propeller of the wreck. The wreck site was undisturbed until 2005, when it was recovered. Recovery During February 2005 the wreckage of this aircraft was salvaged by Robert Greinert / Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) and exported in a container to Australia. Display After arrival in Sydney this aircraft was shipped to Precision Aerospace and placed into storage. During 2005, the recovered wreckage was sold to Mike Spaulding / North Queensland Warbirds (Warbird Adventures) for use in a new built P-40N restoration. Reportedly, the tail wheel assembly from the crash site was used as the basis of the original historical identity. Registered in Australia as VH-MIK. By 2007, the wings were attached to the fuselage. By 2008, the new built P-40 was restored to flying condition. and painted in the markings of a Royal Air Force (RAF) P-40 Kittyhawk code BU-B. On August 16, 2009 took off piloted by owner Mike Spualding on a local flight and when landing at Mareeba Airfield, the P-40 suffered a right landing gear collapse. Afterwards, shipped to Precision Aerospace for repairs and at the same time was converted to a TP-40N dual control mode at the same time. After the repairs and conversion, sold to John F. Davis, III of Elizabeth, CO and shipped from Australia to the United States. On August 19, 2015 registered in the United States as N977WH. During April 2018 sold to Thom Richard plus a financial backer. On June 25, 2018 re-registered to TP40 LLC of Winter Park, Florida. The aircraft was in American Volunteer Group (AVG) markings with a red spinner and shark mouth on the nose with the nickname "American Dream". On the left side of the fuselage is the AVG leaping tiger with tail number 55 in white (accurate to the original aircraft). Since August 2018, this P-40 is based at Kissimmee Airport at Warbird Adventures and offers fligh training to the public for flights between 8 minutes to an hour. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-40N-5-CU Warhawk 42-104977 "104977 (MSN 28739, 55th FS, "Punkins/Mr Five by Five") crash landed after being shot down by Japanese aircraft in Lae, New Guinea and w/o Sep 13, 1943. Recovered in Feb 2005 and sold in Australia to North Queensland warbirds for spares. Some parts remained after spares use, since was registered to Cairns Airport Hangars of Cairns as VH-MIK. Only parts recovered were remains of tail, wings, and engine, so restoration involved parts from numerous other sources. First flight after restoration Jun 2009." 49th Fighter Group combat report September 13, 1943 Narrative Report of Lt. Joel D. Thorvaldson September 19, 1943 page 1-2 PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-40N 42-104977 Pilot of three wars honors two Medals Salvation Army Gave Him FAA Registry N977WH - P-40N 42-104977 American Fighter Aces - Lawrence F. O’Neill an Ace with Kearby's Thunderbolts by John Guttman mentions September 13, 1943 mission Flightpath Magazine "Six Decades Of... " by Michael Claringbould pages 50-54 Curtis P-40 Tomahawk / Warhawk / Kittyhawk P-40N 42-104977 page 23 of 33 [PDF] Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) N-Number Inquiry Results - N977WH Registered August 19, 2015 / Re-Registered June 25, 2018 to TP40 LLC Warbird Digest "Warbird Adventures Unveils Their Dual-Seat, Dual-Control P-40 Warhawk!" August 22, 2018 "This aircraft is loosely based upon the remains of P-40N 42-104977, a WWII combat veteran which then-1st Lt. Joel Dixon Thorvaldson" Warbirds International Issue 81 December 2018 "TSILI TSILI WARHAWK - A true combat veteran, this P-40 is now available for flight training and flight experience rides at Thom Richard's Warbird Adventures in Florida." Warbird Adventures - P-40 American Dream Thanks to Joel D. Thorvaldson for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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