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  F4U-1A Corsair Serial Number NZ5317  
RNZAF
No. 15 Squadron

Former Assignments
No. 16 Squadron
No. 22 Squadron
No. 14 Squadron

Pilot  P/O Eric P. Shorthouse (MIA / KIA)
Crashed  April 15, 1945

Aircraft History
Built by Vought. Constructors Number 5099. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as F4U-1A Corsair bureau number 49852. Disassembled and loaded aboard USS Table Rock as cargo and departs bound for the South Pacific.

Wartime History
Assigned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as Corsair serial number NZ5317. On May 22, 1944 reassembled by Unit 60 on Espiritu Santo. On June 28, 144 assigned to No. 21 Squadron on Espiritu Santo. On August 8, 1944 assigned to No. 14 Squadron. On September 14, 1944 assigned to No. 22 Squadron. On December 21, 1944 assigned to No. 16 Squadron. In early April 1945 assigned to No. 15 Squadron. No known nickname, nose art of markings.

Mission History
On April 15, 1945 took off piloted by P/O Eric P. Shorthouse on a mission over Rabaul. While flying over Cape Gazelle, this Corsair suffered an engine failure and dove then crashed into a ridge. When this plane failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

References
Navy Serial Number Search Results - F4U-1A Corsair 49852
"49852 (MSN 5099) to New Zealand as NZ5317"
ADF Serials - NZ Serials Corsair NZ5317
CWGC - Eric Peter Shorthouse
FindAGrave - Eric Peter Shorthouse

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Last Updated
September 23, 2024

Tech Info
F4U
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