PBY4 lost 3-3-43 Cape Esperance Solomon Islands
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 1:47 pm
My Uncle, Ensign William R. Gallagher was on flight # 31948 with pilot Lt. Fisher and crew when they were lost 3-3-43 returning to Henderson Field from a bomb mission.
There is some confusion because in the book "We flew Alone" this plane is listed as going down on Feb 14th 1943 yet my uncle's flight book clearly lists 31948 on many missions after Feb 14th and is the plane he listed as what he flew on 3-3-43. The book lists flight numbers 31947 and 31950 as the planes that went down on 3-3-43... in any case my uncle was on one of these planes.
A plane from his group reported seeing a large fire and pieces of plane coming apart at 1,200 feet between Russel Island and Cape Esperance. That may have been his plane.
Does anyone have any information on this?
How deep is the sea there? Is there any chance of conduction a salvage operation in this area?
thanks
Robert
There is some confusion because in the book "We flew Alone" this plane is listed as going down on Feb 14th 1943 yet my uncle's flight book clearly lists 31948 on many missions after Feb 14th and is the plane he listed as what he flew on 3-3-43. The book lists flight numbers 31947 and 31950 as the planes that went down on 3-3-43... in any case my uncle was on one of these planes.
A plane from his group reported seeing a large fire and pieces of plane coming apart at 1,200 feet between Russel Island and Cape Esperance. That may have been his plane.
Does anyone have any information on this?
How deep is the sea there? Is there any chance of conduction a salvage operation in this area?
thanks
Robert