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F4U-1D Corsair Serial Number NZ5415

RNZAF
No. 17 Squadron

Former Assignments
No. 23 Squadron
No. 20 Squadron

Pilot Flying Officer Owen Walton Davies, 429153 (KIA / BR) Hastings, NZ
Crashed January 30, 1945 at 10:45am

Aircraft History
Built by Vought. Constructors number 5915. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as F4U-1D Corsair bureau number 57092. Disassembled and loaded aboard USS Grand Mesa as cargo. On July 24 1944 departed the United States as part of defense aid to New Zealand.

Wartime History
Assigned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as Corsair serial number NZ5415. On August 11, 1944 reassembled by Unit 60 on Espiritu Santo. On October 9, 1944 assigned to No. 23 Squadron. Next, on October 26, 1944 assigned to No. 20 Squadron. During January 1945 assigned to No. 17 Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.

Mission History
On January 30, 1945 took off from Green Island Airfield (Nissan) piloted by Flying Officer Owen W. Davies on a mission against Rabaul. Over the target, this aircraft failed to pull out of a dive while strafing a convoy of trucks and at 10:45am crashed near the the crater of Vulcan Volcano. Davies did not bail out and was killed in the crash. Officially, this aircraft was written off from Green Island Airfield (Nissan).

Recovery of Remains
Postwar, his remains were recovered from the crash site.

Memorials
Davies was officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the recovery of remains, he was permanently buried at Bomana Cemetery at grave C8. A. 10.

References
Navy Serial Number Search Results - F4U-1D Corsair 57092
"57092 (MSN 5915) to New Zealand as NZ5415"
ADF Serials NZ Serials - F4U Corsair NZ5415
CWGC - Own Walton Davies

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Last Updated
July 6, 2024

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