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| RAAF No. 75 Squadron |
Pilot F/Lt Barry Mortimer Cox, 260706 (MIA / KIA) Summer Hill, NSW Crashed April 28, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-40E Warhawk serial number 41-5527. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History During March 1942 delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as P-40E Kittyhawk serial number A29-47. On April 5, 1942 assigned to No. 75 Squadron. Tail code "R". Nicknamed "Sweet Adeline" on the fuselage. Mission History On April 28, 1942 at 10:40am took off from 12 Mile Drome (Berry) near Port Moresby piloted by F/Lt Barry Mortimer Cox on a mission to intercept incoming Japanese aircraft including G4M1 Bettys from the 4th Kokutai (4th AIr Group) escorted by A6M2 Zeros from Tainan Kokutai. During the air combat, this aircraft was shot down and observed to crash into the Waigani Swamp. Cox was not observed to bail out and is presumed to have died on impact. Also lost was P-40E Kittyhawk A29-8 piloted by S/L John F. Jackson (KIA). Search After the crash, an Australian Army search team reached the crash site and found the P-40 partially buried in the swamp and still burning. On May 4, 1942 F/O Piper from 75 Squadron reached the crash site and was able to identify the aircraft from a small piece of the fuselage recovered and stated the plane was buried 10-15' into the soil. On May 5, 1942 a search party including P/O Tucker and W/O Tarrant from No. 75 Squadron returned to the crash site and attempted to excavate it, but were unsuccessful due to the soil and burned wreckage. A small portions of substance were recovered that were thought to be human remains that were burned by fire but were unable to be positively identified as bone. The surrounding area was searched without any trace of the pilot and it was presumed he died in the crash. Since his remains were not recovered, he remains listed as missing. RAAF Casualty File (NAA: A705, 163/26/203) page 27: "A.R.C. S. Searcher Report... I didn't see the wreck but F/O P. Neale, R.A.A.F. salvage did. He had no chance of escape and if not dead when the plane hit the swamp he was burnt. He was a P. O. at the time. N. B. searcher saw P/O P. Neale and he sas [sic, saw] the plane but it was impossible to get to the plane to get the body. Plane was burnt." Memorials Cox was officially declared missing the day of the mission. He is memorialized at Bomana War Cemetery at the Port Moresby Memorial, pane 9. References WW2 Nominal Roll - Barry Mortimer Cox, 260706 RAAF Casualty File (NAA: A705, 163/26/203) RAAF Service Record (NAA: A9300, COX B M) CWGC - Barry Mortimer Cox ADF Serials - P-40E Kittyhawk A29-47 Eagles of the Southern Sky page 40-41incorectly states was found during construction of 5 Mile Drome Storm over Kokoda page 205 incorrectly associates P-40 wreckage at Port Moresby golf course with Cox: "Barry Cox died in Jackson’s final combat too, but in what circumstances we have no record. United States army engineers draining a wetland to build yet another airfield finally found his Kittyhawk months later, but left it where it fell. After the war, the Port Moresby golf course took advantage of the American landscaping for the purposes of the course design, and more than sixty years after the event, parts of Cox’s fighter were still visible." Thanks to Daniel Leahy 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 April 24, 2021 |
 P-40  MIA 1 Missing |
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