No. 24 Squadron
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)

Background
Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) No. 24 Squadron operated the F4U Corsair in the South Pacific (SoPAC) during World War II.

Wartime History
On January 15, 1945 thirty-six Corsairs from No. 16 Squadron, No. 14 Squadron and No. 24 Squadron took off from Nissan Airfield (Green Island) on a fighter sweep over Rabaul. Returning, the formation encountered a bad weather front. A total of eight RNZAF Corsairs were lost and the day became known as "A Black Day for the Kiwis".

On April 11, 1945 lost is F4U Corsair NZ5473 pilot FSgt William C. Crosby on a bombing mission against southern Bougainville. During the bombing run, this Corsair was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed near Muguai east of Kara Airfield.

References
Royal New Zealand Air Force Official History
The Siege of Rabaul (1996) by Henry Sakaida Chapter 17 A Black Day for the Kiwis pages 69-72
Air to Air The Story Behind the air-to-air combat claims of the RNZAF (2003) by Chris Rudge

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