Burning Corasir - 1944/45 vintage ***Not Present Day ***

[Mortmer]

I was given a few more photographs from my relatives collection over the weekend and although most are Photographic School/ Base pictures and a few PBJ pictures I thought this one might be of general interest...



The PBJ pictures are in the VMB 433 Pictures thread -

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=22741

[Rob Mears]

I imagine it's "NZ5367" (Bu50222) of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. I show it as being shipped from the USA on 12 May 1944 aboard "USS Glacier Park". It was then assembled at Espiritu Santo and brought on charge by Unit 60 on 14 June 1944 where it was given the code number "67". It was then handed over to No.21 Squadron on 18 December 1944, later sustaining damage from anti-aircraft fire during flight operations on 02 January 1945. It was repaired and returned to service, but caught fire on approach to landing during its initial test flight from Green Island on 24 February 1945 following those repairs. The pilot managed to land the aircraft but it was destroyed by the post-crash fire. Pilot Officer Noel MacCready was uninjured. It was written off the books at Green Island on 24 December 1945.

[n5151ts]

...I shudder every time I see something like that. you can imagine what I do when I see P-38's in big piles!