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| RAAF No. 75 Squadron Former Assignments No. 77 Squadron |
Pilot Sgt William "Bill" D. Cowe, 401769 (KIA, BR) Berwick, VIC Crashed August 28, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P40E-1 Warhawk serial number 41-36106. Royal Air Force (RAF) serial number ET752. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History On May 17, 1942 assigned to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as P-40E-1 Kittyhawk serial number A29-109. On May 25, 1942 assigned to No. 77 Squadron but instead to No. 75 Squadron. Tail code K. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On August 28, 1942 between 4:21pm to 5:18pm took off from Milne Bay piloted by Sgt William "Bill" D. Cowe as one of twelve P-40s led by S/L Leslie "Les" D. Jackson on a flight bound for 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby. The other pilots included Piper, Crawford, Gullifer, Mountseer, Holt, Atherton, Pettet, Johnston, Wilkinson, Watson, Jones, and Cowe. Arriving over Port Moresby, there was a low cloud and in the dark Cowe flew into the valley and crashed. Also lost was S/L Leslie "Les" D. Jackson who forced landed at Paramana Point, returning to Moresby aboard a lugger and Lakatoi a few days later. Michael Claringbould adds: "In 1964, myself and other classmates from Boroko East Primary School at Port Moresby had become fascinated by the wreckage of an aircraft in a valley behind our school. It was quite a walk for us, being small kids. We would climb up the hill behind the school, walk along a ridge, and descend into a valley. There were the remains of an outer wing, engine mounts, and small pieces of wreckage everywhere. The other friend who was as fascinated as I was Mark Warren, whose father was then flying DC-3s for Trans Australian Airlines. One day Mark and I and another student decided to collect the wing and take it back to my place. I recall with great clarity that the wing had a British roundel on it, and I wondered what a British aircraft had been doing in the New Guinea theatre. The three of us carried the wing back to my house, located behind Port Moresby High School. Looking back on this feat, it was remarkable. It must have taken us hours, for we were all only between 9 and 10 years of age. The walking distance alone was one hour, and with that heavy outer wing, I really don't know how we did it. The wing was part of my "war collection" I had back in those days, kept mostly under my house, which included a 50 cal machine gun and samurai sword. I remember also walking to the site in 1966 with two of Bill Chapman's friends, and Peter Lamb, a school friend. After we had removed the wing, I recall with great clarity Mark Warren telling me his father had been annoyed that we had removed the wing as he had often used it as a landmark when departing Jackson's Drome in his DC3s! For the next twenty years I wondered what aircraft this had been, although I was sure it had been a P-40. Even Bruce Hoy, the great guru of the times, had no answer. I finally discovered the identity when reading Odger's Involvement of the RAAF in the Pacific War 1939-42. There was a reference to a P-40 crashing in hills behind Port Moresby during a return from Milne Bay. After all these years, I finally collected sufficient information, to confirm positively that this is the aircraft, including an explanation for the British roundel! Mark Warren was killed in the Solomon Islands years later, and I left behind the wing at my house when our family left PNG in 1973. Thats where the story ends." Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of Cowe were recovered. Memorials Cowe was officially declared dead the day of the mission. Cowe was buried at Bomana Cemetery at B2, C, 2. References ADF Serials - Kittyhawk A29-109 CWGC - William David Cowe FindAGrave - Sergeant William David Cowe Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 25, 2022 |
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