Background
Born in 1918 in Antlers, Oklahoma. Farr graduated from class 41-H at Kelly Field, Texas in October 1941. He volunteered for duty in the Philippines upon graduation and shipped out in November 1941 aboard the transport USS Republic.
Wartime History
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor the convoy was diverted to Australia and they landed in Brisbane in late December. In January 1942 he attended the A-24 dive bomber school at Amberley Field which was run by pilots of the 27th Bomb Group who had been evacuated from the Philippines. They had hoped to be sent back to the Philippines as soon as the A-24's were assembled and the crews trained.
Soon after his training Lt. Farr was assigned to the 17th Squadron of the 27th BG as an A-24 pilot. Instead of being sent to the Philippines his squadron was deployed to the island of Java in February but their ferry route from Australia was cut off when the Japanese captured the airfield on Timor. They remained at Batchelor Field, to help defend the Darwin area from Japanese attacks. The men and planes of the 17th Squadron were then sent to Charters Towers in late March where they were reassigned to the 3rd Bomb Group (3rd Attack). While Farr was attached to the 8th Squadron (also equipped with the A-24 dive bomber) he soon found himself on temporary assignment to the 90th Squadron / 3rd BG as the co-pilot of a B-25 medium bomber, flying both reconnaissance and bombing missions from Australia and New Guinea.
Mission History
His first mission was as co-pilot aboard B-25C 41-12497 on a bombing mission against Lae Airfield on 14 May his bomber was attacked by Zero fighters forcing them to crash land at 3 Mile Drome (Kila Kila) near Port Moresby.
His next mission on 25 May he flew as co-pilot aboard B-25C 41-12498 on a bombing mission against Lae Airfield resulted in his bomber being shot down into the sea below Salamaua. The crew was forced to swim three miles to land where they met natives who fed them. They then walked seven days to reach the outpost of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles at Wau. They were flown back to Port Moresby in June and given two weeks of leave upon their return to Australia.
Lt. Farr was married to Jonnie M. Farr. During the war they lived in Indian Rocks near Clearwater, Florida with several other Air Force couples. He passed away in 1958.
Relatives
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References
Profile by Edward Rogers for information
