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| USAAF 5th AF 49th FG 8th FS |
Pilot 1st Lt. Roger A. Grant, Jr., O-790655 (survived) Buncombe County, NC Crashed September 21, 1943 MACR 736 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 42-104984. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 49th Fighter Group (49th FG), 8th Fighter Squadron (8th FS). No known nose art or nickname. Mission History On September 21, 1943 took off from Tsili-Tsili Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Roger A. Grant, Jr. on a patrol over Hopoi. At 5:45pm an altitude of 10,000'-12,000' the P-40s intercepted three Japanese twin engine bombers, misidentified as "Bettys" [sic, Ki-49 Helen or Ki-21 Sally] over the Cromwell Mountains on the Huon Peninsula. While making their first pass, this P-40 was hit by 20mm cannon fire and peeled away to the left in a shallow dive with white smoke trailing and was not seen again, but was credited with an aerial victory. In fact, Grant bailed out and landed in a tree roughly 90' above the ground. Richard Dunn adds: "The IGHQ communique says it was an Army raid and that two Japanese a/c crashed and two others had failed to return. US claims were for four bombers and several fighters shot down." Search On September 22, 1943 between 9:00am to 10:45am a pair of P-40N Warhawks piloted by Howard and Hanson from 49th Fighter Group (49th FG) searched over the Cromwell Mountains with nil sighting. Rescue With the help of local villagers, he walked from village to village and was rescued on October 8, 1943 and returned to duty 21 days after bailing out. Relatives Cynthia Grant Martin (daughter) "I have just been given his official report with maps, etc., though his wing man could not see exactly where he went down. The day after the plane went down, his squadron looked for approx. 1-1/2 hrs. but could not find any indication of his wreckage. I also have names of villages he passed through and a letter from a chief dated October 1. There is an entry and photos in Protect & Avenge, although some of the information presented there is inaccurate according to Daddy and the information I received after he died." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Roger A. Grant, Jr USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-40N-5-CU Warhawk 42-104984 "104984 (8th FS, 49th FG) MIA Sept 21, 1943, New Guinea. MACR 736" Missing Air Crew Report 736 (MACR 736) USAF Aerial Victory Credits - Roger A Grant 9/21/43 PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-40 Kittyhawk 42-104984 Asheville Citizen - Times (Asheville, N.C.) Obituaries for 4-2-05 "April 2, 2005 - Roger Grant Jr. Roger Alpine Grant Jr 86 of Asheville passed away... over the Coral and Solomon Seas north and east of New Guinea in the Pacific Theater He ... Sheep Squadron 8th Squadron 49th Fighter Group Shot down in Japanese occupied terrain... hacked his way through jungle to emerge 24 days later in allied territory..." FindAGrave - Capt Roger Alpine Grant, Jr (photos) Thanks to Edward Rogers and Richard Dunn 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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 P-40  Map Sept 21, 1943 |
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