2nd? Lt Robert Love.

Details about those listed as missing or killed in the Pacific, including current search operations.

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richard rudd
1st Lieutenant
Posts: 49
Joined: Sat Feb 01, 2003 2:08 am

2nd? Lt Robert Love.

Post by richard rudd »

Was a young pilot taking a P39 to New Guinea in April '42, along with 5 others. Bad weather towards their destination, Horn Is. caused a turn back and with low fuel and nowhere to go, all forced landed. 2 about 10 kms inland from Orford Bay, Cape York, and the other 4 on the beaches.
Love was wingman to Yundt, who bellied in OK, followed by Love who, for some reason, put his gear down.
His arrival either by wing drop or soft sand caused the aircraft to cartwheel, killing Love.
Yundt removed his body from the upturned wreckage and buried him, inland nearby. Yundt was recovered by search boat a couple of days later, along with the 4 other pilots picked up off the beaches further north.
Love's body was later taken to a US burial plot in Townsville, and eventually taken back to the US.
Yundt's aircraft was rediscovered in 1974, by an accidental finding of just the tip of the fin poking out of the sand. And since re-covered with the shifting sands.
During a search for this aircraft, the upturned P39 of Love's was discovered. A subsequent dig
showed an inverted fuselage, right wing broken off outboard of the flap, right gear leg broken off, nose turned under towards the cockpit, left wing OK with gear extended. Tail broken off but control cables leading to..? All under 4-5 ft of sand and 20 yds inland of where the beach is now. A hand thru the corroded belly to feel under the seat, showed no drive shaft ; ripped out during the prop strike, and fatally injuring the pilot. There are moves to do a complete dig out this year and hopefully find the data plate. Serial # ?? , model.. D or F. And get the aircraft to a museum.
So.. to tell the complete story...has anyone got any details on Lt Robert Love, or can point me in the right direction to find out. These are very historic airframes, some of the first US aircraft heading for PNG, to WW2 and the air battles over Port Moresby. Altho badly corroded, they still tell a fascinating story.
Thanks.

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