RAAF
75 Squadron
Andrew Wight 1995
Pilot F/O William Allan Whetters, 3403 (survived)
Ditched August 26, 1942
Aircraft History
USAAF Serial Number 41-25143. RAF Serial Number ET467. Delivered to the RAAF during May 1942. Assigned to 75 Squadronand coded 'J'. Participated in the Battle of Milne Bay.
; on 26/8/42 was seen near Dawson Is off the eastern cape and F/O William Allan Whetters, 3403 after seeing the same jetty presumably off Dawson Is for a second time decided to ditch near the island as fuel was running low.
History
Took off from Gurney Airfield on
a strafing mission against Japanese barges. Foul weather prevented him
from finding the barges or to get back to his base. Running short of fuel, he sighted
a jetty and ditched close to
Sideia Island (Dawson Island off the eastern cape) near Milne
Bay.
He successfully ditched on a reef without injury and was rescued by natives in a dinghy, and delivered to the nearby Catholic Mission. With the help of missionaries, Whetters built a pontoon raft made of logs and attempted to float his plane back to base. As Japanese forces were too close, Whetters decided to scuttle the plane, sinking it. He returned to base and continued flying.
Wreckage
The wreck rests right side up underwater in a underwater
trench. Located during the filming of a 1995 documentary, Winged
Ghosts of the Pacific. Video of the wreckage and the control stick
were presented to Mr. Whetters in retirement in Australia
that same year.
References
75 Squadron
diary: A29-110 is listed in the losses section of the for August 1942 as being ditched by Whetters and written off.
Winged
Ghosts of the Pacific includes footage of this wreck and Whetters
ADF Serials for aircraft history
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for additional information
P-40
