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| RAAF No. 78 Squadron Former Assignments No. 80 Squadron 11 RSU 15 ARD 5 AD 2 AD  RAAF 1944 |
Pilot Flight Lieutenant Gordon H. White, 406121 (MIA / KIA) Mt. Lawley, WA Crashed August 8, 1944 at 1:15pm Aircraft History Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Contract Number AC34423. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-40N-15-CU Warhawk serial number 42-106374. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History During April 1943 delivered to the Royal Australia Air Force (RAAF) as P-40N Kittyhawk A29-570. On April 11, 1943 assigned to 2 Air Depot (2 AD). On January 17, 1944 assigned to 5 Air Depot (5 AD) and placed into storage. On April 13, 1944 assigned to 15 Aircraft Repair Depot (15 ARD) reserve pool at Bankstown Airfield. On April 27, 1944 assigned to 11 Repair & Salvage Unit (11 RSU) to the reserve pool. On May 14, 1944 assigned to No. 80 Squadron. On June 12, 1944 assigned to 22 RSU for an engine change. On June 13, 1944 assigned to No. 78 Squadron coded HU-A. Nicknamed "Stormy Weather". When lost, Allison engine V1710-81 serial number 34543. Mission History On August 8, 1944 took off from Kamiri Airfield on Noemfoor piloted by Flight Lieutenant Gordon H. White as one of four Kittyhawks of "Green Flight" on a barge sweep over MacCluer Gulf. This Kittyhawk was coded "Green 3". At 1:15pm this plane was observed to impact the sea and crash 200 yards away off Garoewah. The pilot did not bail out and the cockpit canopy was observed to be closed on impact. After the crash, the other three Kittyhawks circled the crash site for five minutes then departed when there was no sign of the pilot. Wreckage This Kittyhawk was submerged in only six inches of water with the tip of the tail above the surface with the fuselage and wings visible below the surface. Recovery of Remains Several days after the crash, the body of the pilot washed ashore and was found by local villagers. They recovered the body and attempted to bury the body on the beach but were scared off by a Japanese Army patrol. It was believed the body was later carried away by the tide. Memorials White was officially declared dead the day of the mission and remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). He is commemorated at Lae War Cemetery on the Lae Memorial, panel 6. He is also memorialized at Australian War Memorial (AWM) on panel 104. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-40N-15-CU Warhawk 42-106374 "106374 to RAAF as A29-570 Nov 1943. Ditched near Garoewah village Aug 8, 1944. Pilot KIA." ADF Serials - Kittyhawk A29-570 CWGC - Gordon Horace White FindAGrave - Flight Lieutenant Gordon Horace White (photo, Lae Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Gordon Horace White (AWM) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated August 16, 2024 |
 P-40  MIA 1 Missing |
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