1942 crash: 6 RCAF P-40's on Unalaska Island?

[daveymac82c]

Hi everyone,

I was just going through the RCAF serial numbers database which is really excellent:

(http://www.ody.ca/~bwalker/index.htm)

and came across a P-40 that crashed up in alaska along with 5 other P-40's during a ferry flight.

One of the planes was RCAF 1061, a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk Model 87.

In the database it says the following:

"Diverted from RAF order placed in May 1940, serial AK954. Equivalent to USAAF P-40D. May have operated initially with RAF serial number marked. To No. 111 (F) Squadron at RCAF Stations Rockcliffe, Ontario, Sea Island, BC and Patricia Bay, BC 1941 to 1942. Coded "LZ*F". Category C accident at Rockcliffe on 29 November 1941. One of 6 Kittyhawks that crashed on Unalaska Island, en route from Cold Lake, Alaska to Unmak Island, Alaska. Had become lost in fog and low cloud, while ferrying to south-west Alaska for operations against Japanese. Not clear if RCAF serial had been marked prior to crash. Struck off, after crashing on 16 July 1942."

The other airplanes I could find on the database were RCAF 1079, 1083, and 1088. I couldn't find the others.

Does anyone know what happened with these 6 airplanes? Were the pilots rescued? Were the airframes recovered? Are any flying now?

I just thought I'd see if anyone knows anything about these planes. It is kind of strange to see such a large group of airplanes all crashing together.

Cheers,

David

[n5151ts]

as far as I know they will rot away as the great state of alaska has deemed all downed aircraft to be "historic" sites and as such they cannot be rescued. nothing like preserving history through destruction.

[daveymac82c]

That's no good. I thought that some airplanes had been removed from there before, I guess not.

Alaska wouldn't happen to be run by the navy would it?

That's just too bad about not being allowed to recover anything from Alaska.

-David

[JDK]

It is kind of strange to see such a large group of airplanes all crashing together.

More common than you'd think, usually caused by weather closing in. I can think of examples of flights and often crews lost, up to squadron level in the Pacific, the UK, Europe and the USA during W.W.II.

[peter]

Had a look for crash sites on google earth for unalaska island. They ahve high res scan of the entire area and you can make out the ww2 fighterpens on the field

[Steve T]

Daveymac--

That was a flight of five 111 (F) Sqn Kittyhawks that flew into a fogbank and then struck a hillside on Unalaska Island. I did a painting of them years ago that was on show at Rockcliffe for a while. The info I had at the time (which may or may not be correct) indicated the Kittys may have retained their RAF serials, though RCAF 1000-series numbers had been allotted. In any case, one of the five, AL138, was recovered a while back and is awaiting restoration in, I think, either Oz or NZ...it's in Charles Darby's P-40 survivors listing. (PM me if you like and I'll shoot you a photo of my painting "111 And The Enemy Ace".)

Cheers

S.

[hang the expense]

Those birds were completely destoyed from smacking the hillside. I saw pieces from the remains and not alot was there.During the 50s the af went about blowing up planes that were down on the tundra.For what reason I have no idea.My friends K model was lost due to engine failure on the flight to elmendorf for scrapping.The camo paint did its job because the af missed it.The bird was recoverd in the middle 70s by al reddick I think.

It is kind of strange to see such a large group of airplanes all crashing together.

More common than you'd think, usually caused by weather closing in. I can think of examples of flights and often crews lost, up to squadron level in the Pacific, the UK, Europe and the USA during W.W.II.

Absolutely, this example of the Six USAAF P-39 Airacobras of "D" Flight of the 36th Squadron of the 8th Fighter Group is well known "Down Under"

http://www.sandgate.net/~dunn/1may42.htm