Pacific Wrecks - P-40N-20-CU Kittyhawk Serial Number A29-649

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

P-40N-20-CU Kittyhawk Serial Number A29-649

RAAF
No. 76 Squadron

Former Assignments
15 ARD
3 AD
22 RSU

Pilot W/O Raymond John Keyes, 420571 (MIA / KIA) Marrickville, NSW
MIA January 28, 1945

Aircraft History
Built by Curtiss in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-40N-20-CU Warhawk serial number 43-22990. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled.

Wartime History
In December 1943 delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as Kittyhawk serial number A29-649. Assigned to 15 Aircraft Repair Depot (15 ARD).

On March 11, 1944 took off piloted by F/Lt William Allan Whetters and force landed on mud flats in bad weather, which damaged the oil cooler and other underside fittings. Whetters suffered head lacerations during the crash.

Afterwards, salvaged from the mud flats and on April 9, 1944 assigned to 3 Air Depot (3 AD) for repairs. Returned to 15 ARD then assigned to 22 Repair & Salvage Unit (22 RSU). This aircraft was to be assigned to No. 76 Squadron and ferried by pilot W/O Raymond J. Keyes.

Mission History
On January 28, 1945 at 7:00am took off from 5 Mile Drome (Wards) near Port Moresby piloted by W/O Raymond J. Keyes on a ferry flight with refueling stops at with a refueling stop planned at Tadji Airfield before flying to the final destination of Kamiri Airfield on Noemfoor Island. He requested Beaufort A9-660 piloted by W/Cdr Barker escort him across the Owen Stanley Mountains. It is not known whether W/O Keyes intended to land at Lae Airfield. Nothing was heard from either aircraft after departure. When this aircraft failed to arrive it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Search
Afterwards, searches found no trace of either missing aircraft. In the early 1960s, the other aircraft Beaufort A9-660 was found northeast of Myola, but Kittyhawk has never been located.

Memorials
Keyes 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.

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-40N-20-CU Warhawk 43-22990
"22990 to RAAF as A29-649 Dec 1943. Went missing between Port Moresby and Lae Feb 14, 1945."
NAA RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) Number 7 Squadron Jun 40 - Dec 45 (NAA: A9186, 271)
(Page 458) "Tadj Feb 1 1945 Beaufort A9-660 reported missing enroute Moresby-Lae via Kokoda Gap. One of the passengers FSgt Pratt, W. H. Wireless Operator (air) was returning form short operational leave, and arrived at Townsville for onward travel to Tadji. Whilst at Townsville he learned that a crew recently posted to the squadron was in Townsville on their way through to Port Moresby with an aircraft, which had to be ferried there. Wishing to rejoin his crew without too much delay, he traveled with this aircraft to Moresby. There the new squadron crew (consisting of W/Cdr N. W. Baker, Captain, F/O A. Dalglish Navigator, and F/O C. L. Chishlm and A. V. Bate, Gunnery officers), with which he was traveling, delivered the first aircraft and picked up the second aircraft (A9-660) for delivery to this [No. 7] squadron. On leaving Moresby for Tadji via Lae they had a fighter aircraft [P-40N A29-649] in company with them which they had agreed to escort to its destination. Nothing was heard of either aircraft from the time they left Moresby on 28 January. When it was known they had not arrived at Lae signals were sent to all aerodromes in that part of New Guinea asking for information of the aircraft. All these replied that nothing had been heard of them. A search was then organized and aircraft searched thoroughly the route which they had intended to take and a large additional area over which they may have flown. During all searches no trace could be found of either aircraft. Casualty signal is attached as Appendix A."
WW2 Nominal Roll - Raymond John Keyes, 420571
ADF Serials - Kittyhawk A29-649
CWGC - Raymond John Keyes
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for his assistance with this profile

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Last Updated
August 16, 2024

P-40

MIA
1 Missing

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