John J. Durkin
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF)
Fighter and bomber pilot

Background
John J. Dirkin was born December 23, 1919 to parents Martin Durkin and Margaret Durkin as one of four children in Westfield in Union County, New Jersey. The family's surname was spelled Durkan in Ireland. His family lived at 1001 Cleveland Avenue in Westfield, NJ. Known as "Jack" to his friends. When he was seven years old, his father died from a fall at work and he was forced to grow up fast and become the man in his house to help his mother and sisters. He graduated from Holy Trinity High School and attended Rutgers University and worked as a clerk at Russell E. Darby Inc. in Westfield. In high school, he met Rose Lorraine Gaffney who he later married.

Wartime History
On January 6, 1941 enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private with serial number 20244203. He was assigned to the National Guard to a cavalry unit. When his unit converted to a tank unit, he transfered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as an aviation cadet. During June 1943 attended basic flight school at Williams Field in Tuscon, Arizona class 43-F. On June 22, 1943, he earned his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-7489321. Sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) as a fighter pilot.

Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 431st Fighter Squadron (431st FS) "Hades" as a flying the P-38 Lightning.

On November 8, 1943 took off from Kiriwina Airfield piloting P-38H Lightning on an escort mission over Rabaul. Returning, this P-38 became lost in bad weather and ditched into Porlock Harbor near Cape Nelson on the north coast of New Guinea. He landed unhurt next to USS Victoria (AO-46) and was immediately rescued then returned to duty.

On November 16, 1943 at 7:20am took off from Dobodura Airfield No. 12 (North Embi Airfield) piloting P-38H "Hold Everything" 42-66826 on a fighter sweep over Wewak. The weather was clear with overcast above 20,000'. Inbound, Durkin ran low on fuel and aborted the mission and turned back towards base alone. When he failed to return, he was listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Flying alone, Durkin was jumped by a pair of Japanese "Zeros" [sic Ki-43 Oscars] and took evasive action until he lost them in the clouds. Afterwards, his electric compass stopped working and he became lost and proceeded southward until he reached an unfamiliar coastline. With very little fuel remaining, one engine stopped and he force landed wheels up in what he thought was a field of kunai grass but turned out to be a swam and his plane submerged to the wings.

Durkin survived the landing unhurt and spent the night sleeping on the wing. The next day, he proceeded towards a nearby village and was met by locals and taken to their village roughly ten miles away. With their help, he was guided over the next two days to the coast where he was transported aboard a lakatoi (local double-hulled sailboat) to Daru Island where he was handed over to Australian forces. The same lakatoi proceeded to another location that had a radio to transmit his whereabouts and coordinate his rescue.

Later, an OA-10 Catalina piloted by 1st Lt. Leslie Lange from Port Moresby Flying Boat Base was sent to rescue him. Aboard was Associated Press (AP) photographer Thomas Shafer a war pool correspondent who covered his rescue and took several photographs of Durkin being rescued wearing necklaces given to him by the locals and documented his flight to Port Moresby.

On December 7, 1943 he returned to his squadron and was removed from their list of Missing In Action (MIA) personnel. On December 10, 1943 he was allowed to send a telegram home to his mother saying he was alright and "returning to work".

Afterwards, transfered to the 22nd Bombardment Group (22nd BG), 2nd Bombardment Squadron (2nd BS) as a pilot flying the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber and B-24 Liberator heavy bomber.

On April 15, 1944 took off piloting B-24J "Pleasure Bent" 42-100157 on a bombing mission against Aitape on the north coast of New Guinea.

On April 22, 1944 promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

On June 8, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloting B-24J Liberator 42-100195 on a flight to Hollandia Airfield and spent the night for an upcoming mission.

On June 9, 1944 at 6:30am took off from Hollandia Airfield piloting B-24J Liberator 42-100195 on a flight bound for Wakde Airfield then to bomb Peleliu Island. During take off, his bomber suffered an failure of the no. 4 engine. While attempting to abort the take off, the brakes failed and hydraulic system malfunction that caused the plane to run off the runway and crashed into a ditch. Aboard, three of the crew were injured including Durkin who suffered multiple broken bones in his left arm.

Later, his wounds required him to return to the United States for medical treatment at Walter Reed Military Hospital until the end of World War II. While convalescing, he was invited to the White House and met President of the United States Harry S. Truman and First Lady Mrs. Bess Truman.

Postwar
In 1945, he married his high school sweetheart, Rose Lorraine Gaffney and the couple had seven children. In the 1950s, the family moved to Seattle, Washington State.

Memorials
On August 1, 1998 passed away at age 78. He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Seattle, WA at Section First St James, Lot 66A, Space 4.

Relatives
Rose Lorraine Gaffney Durkin (wife)
Brian Ladenburg (grandson)

References
World War II Army Enlistment Records - John J. Durkin
E&E Report No. 19 "Mission Date: 16 November, 1943. Narration of Lt. John J. Durkin" page 5-6 via Edward Rogers
The Courier-Mail "Lifetime of thrills in 6 weeks' flying" by J. E. Vine, Courier-Mail War Correspondent, Friday 10 December 1943
"NEW GUINEA, Dec. 9. — A Lightning pilot, Lieut. John J. Durkin, of Westfield, New Jersey, began his New Guinea flying in late October. He has packed enough excitement into the six weeks which have passed since then to last most folk a lifetime.
Eight days separated two crash landings — one into the sea, the other into a jungle swamp. For the first there was a naval craft [USS Victoria] conveniently at hand to rescue him from the water, but it took 18 days and a series of adventures to get him out of the second jam. Life proceeded smoothly for Lieut. Durkin. who is 23, until November 8. It was then that he made his Bismarck Sea landing off Cape Nelson, after his unit had been scattered by a vicious storm. Four days later he was flying, again. On November 16, high over Wewak, he had to signal to his formation leader that his gasoline [sic gasoline] was low and he was returning to his base. He reached his base 18 days later in a Catalina. On the lonely journey home he was jumped by two Zeros. He eluded them after playing hide and seek in the cumulus clouds For 10 minutes. But if the Zeros were gone, so was his electric compass. Probably it had been smashed by tracer from the Jap planes. Lieut. Durkin set a course for what he thought was home. One engine had coughed and stuttered to a stop and the other was just about to cut out for lack of fuel as he nosed his ship down on to what seemed a verdant level stretch. He landed in a six-foot deep swamp.
Lieut. Durkin spent that night on the wing of his plane, one of the few parts not submerged. Next day he started to pull himself through the slime and weeds toward a native village, and was picked up by natives in a crude native canoe. They took him to their village 10 miles away. Two days later with his native escort he reached the Dutch New Guinea coast. From then on he was passed from village to village. Natives fed him on bananas, coconuts, and fish, once on baked turtle. Finally he reached a village which boasted a seagoing lakatoi, and set out with his native crew for an island garrisoned by a small body of Australians. By day they were becalmed, but at night a storm arose and they ran aground on a reef. They reached the island next morning. Sig. Fred Turbit, of Sydney, and Sig. Ron. Burr, of N.S.W., made him at home. Meantime the lakatoi went to another island 50 miles away equipped with a radio transmitting set. A radio message went through and a Catalina picked up Lieut. Durkin.  Tomorrow he will rejoin his unit."
475th FG, 431st FS History
J B lists: "66826 (475th FG, 432st FS, "Hold Everything") damaged by enemy fighters and ditched in swamp in New Guinea November 17, 1943. Pilot returned."
22nd Bombardment Group War Diary, April 1944
"22 April 1944... Lt. Durkin was promoted to 1st Lt. Today."
The Courier-News (Plainfield, New Jersey) "Red Raiders name Westfielder Rescue Officer" May 26, 1944 page 22
Flying Aces "War Flyers In The Headlines" April 1944 page 35
475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation - 431st Hades Fighter Squadron 2nd Lt. John J. Durkin
475th Fighter Group Historical Foundation Satan's Angels 475th Fighter Group Newsletter 1979 [PDF]
Possum, Clover & Hades 475th Fighter Group in World War II (2004) does not mention Durkin
Revenge of the Red Raiders (2006) pages 253 (June 9, 1944), 493 (2nd BS, B-24J 42-110052), 569 (B-24J 42-100157 pilot Durkin April 15, 1944), 608 (index Durkin)
FindAGrave - 1LT John Joseph Durkin (grave photo)
Thanks to Brian Ladenburg for additional information

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