Pilot James Taylor
Force Landed March 14, 1943
Aircraft History
Delivered to the New York NAS on December 6, 1942. Shipped to Pearl Harbor in and assigned to VMF-214 at Espiritu Santo, on January 21,
1943.
Mission History
Took off from Espiritu Santo for a ferry flight to Guadalcanal. Force landed in
kunai grass 30 miles to the east of Henderson
Field, about a half mile inland from the north coast of Guadalcanal.
Bruce Gamble adds:
"I think Taylor is now deceased, but I interviewed him for the book more than 10 years ago and got the story."
Wreckage
Remained where abandoned until the early 1970s.
Richard Rudd recalls the wreck site before recovery:
"Looked like it had been ground-looped, one U/C leg buckled and a wrinkled
in the top skin of the wing on the ground on that side. But in
those days around Henderson Field there were wings, props and all manner
of bits and pieces lying around."
Recovery & Display
Recovered by tractor and barge in the around 1973 and brought
to Honiara. Later, moved to Vilu
War Museum where it is displayed to this day.
References
Thanks to Bruce Gamble for additional information
The Black Sheep by Bruce Gamble page 79
Pacific Aircraft Wrecks page 45 (upper)
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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