Recon Pilot New Guinea 1942
Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:27 pm
Capt Frank Savage CO 8th PRS New Guinea 1942
Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:32 pm
I like the replacement nose 
Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:49 pm
"I went on a recon flight, and all I got was this lousy replacement gear!"
Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:58 pm
Didn't he go on to command the 918th BG at Archbury? He must have gone from a Captain to a General pretty quick. 
Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:06 am
LIMPING LIZZIE" - MOVIE STAR
Lawrence Packard, whose father served with the 8PRS, advises that "Limping Lizzie" 41-2156 appeared in the 1945 Warner Brothers movie "Objective Burma", the opening scenes of which were filmed at one of the 8PRS bases in New Guinea. Lawrence also advises that "Limping Lizzie" force landed on a beach (also mentioned in "The Eight Ballers") and was subsequently flown out by the C.O. of the squadron. During the take-off, the aircraft struck a log and leapt into the air, after which it became more commonly known as "Leaping Lizzie".
MOVIE REVIEW
The real star of "Objective Burma" is indeed "Limping Lizzie", albeit in a "blink and you miss it" cameo appearance. The opening scenes show a Lightning landing in a cloud of dust and rolling past the camera with the squadron number "56" clearly visible on the cowls and tail. After the aircraft comes to a halt, a rear three-quarter view from above clearly shows the "Limping Lizzie" nose art as ground crew open the camera hatch and remove the film magazines. The film is then taken by Jeep to a nearby hut which Larry Packard advises is the actual 8PRS photo lab. Why New Guinea footage should appear in a movie about Burma is explained by Bill Collins, a well-known Australian movie historian, who states that the director was very adept at incorporating newsreel footage into his movies (remember everything is black and white). The whole sequence probably takes less than thirty seconds. Errol Flynn also appears in the movie in a supporting role to leading lady Lizzie!
WHO ELSE FLEW THE 75SQN LIGHTNINGS?
Mike Nelmes of the Australian War Memorial has supplied the following extracts from the logbook of Group Captain Wilfrid "Woof" Arthur who had 6:25 hours on Lightnings. All the following flights were from Turnbull Strip.
09SEP43 Test flight in unspecified Lightning (#20 according to ORB)
20OCT43 Recce flight to Talasea - Gasmata - Arawe in "Lightning F4-56"
25OCT43 Recce flight to Buka in "Lightning L-56"
75 Sqn pilots known to have flown the Lightning are:
Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Wilfrid Arthur
Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton
Squadron Leader Jack "Congo" Kinninmont
Flight Lieutenant Buster Brown
Flying Officer Stanley Burfield Hunt
Flying Officer Peter "Spud" Jones
Flying Officer Graham "Monty" Mountseer
Flying Officer Ben Weston
Flying Officer K.M. Wilson
Pilot Officer Ross White
Flight Sergeant Max Stirling
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 75SQN LIGHTNINGS?
Lightning operations by 75 Sqn ended, according to the squadron's Operations Record Book, on 21st December 1943. What then became of the two Lightnings loaned to 75 Sqn?
Terry Geary in the United States has searched the Aircraft History Cards of the two F-4s in question and these show that both aircraft (41-2156 and 41-2220) were condemned as salvage by the 5th AF at Eagle Farm on 26th September 1944 and that both aircraft were struck off charge on 9th April 1946.
However, before "Limping Lizzie" was finally condemned, she was formally allotted to the RAAF for a brief period. In February 1944, when 1PRU were down to just one Lightning and there were no replacements in prospect, the Fifth Air Force were persuaded to allot three very tired F-4s to the RAAF. Two of these Lightnings were actually delivered to RAAF Amberley where they were found to be so badly deteriorated that they were rejected. One of these aircraft was 41-2156, the former "Limping Lizzie". The other was 41-2217, the aeroplane which Geoff Atherton probably flew on 15th August 1943.
The main RAAF operator of Lightnings was No 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit. For more information please see the page for 1PRU.
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COLOURS AND MARKINGS - 75 SQN
Lawrence Packard, whose father served with the 8PRS, advises that "Limping Lizzie" 41-2156 appeared in the 1945 Warner Brothers movie "Objective Burma", the opening scenes of which were filmed at one of the 8PRS bases in New Guinea. Lawrence also advises that "Limping Lizzie" force landed on a beach (also mentioned in "The Eight Ballers") and was subsequently flown out by the C.O. of the squadron. During the take-off, the aircraft struck a log and leapt into the air, after which it became more commonly known as "Leaping Lizzie".
MOVIE REVIEW
The real star of "Objective Burma" is indeed "Limping Lizzie", albeit in a "blink and you miss it" cameo appearance. The opening scenes show a Lightning landing in a cloud of dust and rolling past the camera with the squadron number "56" clearly visible on the cowls and tail. After the aircraft comes to a halt, a rear three-quarter view from above clearly shows the "Limping Lizzie" nose art as ground crew open the camera hatch and remove the film magazines. The film is then taken by Jeep to a nearby hut which Larry Packard advises is the actual 8PRS photo lab. Why New Guinea footage should appear in a movie about Burma is explained by Bill Collins, a well-known Australian movie historian, who states that the director was very adept at incorporating newsreel footage into his movies (remember everything is black and white). The whole sequence probably takes less than thirty seconds. Errol Flynn also appears in the movie in a supporting role to leading lady Lizzie!
WHO ELSE FLEW THE 75SQN LIGHTNINGS?
Mike Nelmes of the Australian War Memorial has supplied the following extracts from the logbook of Group Captain Wilfrid "Woof" Arthur who had 6:25 hours on Lightnings. All the following flights were from Turnbull Strip.
09SEP43 Test flight in unspecified Lightning (#20 according to ORB)
20OCT43 Recce flight to Talasea - Gasmata - Arawe in "Lightning F4-56"
25OCT43 Recce flight to Buka in "Lightning L-56"
75 Sqn pilots known to have flown the Lightning are:
Wing Commander (later Group Captain) Wilfrid Arthur
Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton
Squadron Leader Jack "Congo" Kinninmont
Flight Lieutenant Buster Brown
Flying Officer Stanley Burfield Hunt
Flying Officer Peter "Spud" Jones
Flying Officer Graham "Monty" Mountseer
Flying Officer Ben Weston
Flying Officer K.M. Wilson
Pilot Officer Ross White
Flight Sergeant Max Stirling
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 75SQN LIGHTNINGS?
Lightning operations by 75 Sqn ended, according to the squadron's Operations Record Book, on 21st December 1943. What then became of the two Lightnings loaned to 75 Sqn?
Terry Geary in the United States has searched the Aircraft History Cards of the two F-4s in question and these show that both aircraft (41-2156 and 41-2220) were condemned as salvage by the 5th AF at Eagle Farm on 26th September 1944 and that both aircraft were struck off charge on 9th April 1946.
However, before "Limping Lizzie" was finally condemned, she was formally allotted to the RAAF for a brief period. In February 1944, when 1PRU were down to just one Lightning and there were no replacements in prospect, the Fifth Air Force were persuaded to allot three very tired F-4s to the RAAF. Two of these Lightnings were actually delivered to RAAF Amberley where they were found to be so badly deteriorated that they were rejected. One of these aircraft was 41-2156, the former "Limping Lizzie". The other was 41-2217, the aeroplane which Geoff Atherton probably flew on 15th August 1943.
The main RAAF operator of Lightnings was No 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit. For more information please see the page for 1PRU.
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COLOURS AND MARKINGS - 75 SQN
Thu Feb 05, 2009 1:22 am
Funnily enough, just came across this:
Group of pilots who fly the fast Lockheed Lightning aircraft on photographic reconnaissance work ...
Shows from left: Squadron Leader Colin Lawrie, Rockhampton, F/Lt. Bruce Sinnott, Melbourne, S/Ldr Lloyd Law, Canberra, F/Lt. Bill Talberg, Sydney and S/Ldr. F. (Robbie) Robbiliard, Adelaide, all standing in front of an aeroplane.
Date(s) of creation: [ca. 1944]
photograph : gelatin silver ; 11.0 x 15.0 cm. approx.
Reproduction rights: State Library of Victoria.
Accession No: H99.206/2173
Image No: an010303
Group of pilots who fly the fast Lockheed Lightning aircraft on photographic reconnaissance work ...
Shows from left: Squadron Leader Colin Lawrie, Rockhampton, F/Lt. Bruce Sinnott, Melbourne, S/Ldr Lloyd Law, Canberra, F/Lt. Bill Talberg, Sydney and S/Ldr. F. (Robbie) Robbiliard, Adelaide, all standing in front of an aeroplane.
Date(s) of creation: [ca. 1944]
photograph : gelatin silver ; 11.0 x 15.0 cm. approx.
Reproduction rights: State Library of Victoria.
Accession No: H99.206/2173
Image No: an010303
Thu Feb 05, 2009 9:36 am
Great photo...any idea if the circumstances?
More on 75 Sqn's use of them including some air to air at the end of the page.
More on 75 Sqn's use of them including some air to air at the end of the page.
Thu Feb 05, 2009 6:44 pm
Ian Quinn wrote:Great photo...any idea if the circumstances?
All I had was the caption from the archive. Sorry!
Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:37 am
Good Pic.
Last edited by kenlyco on Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:37 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:43 am
SaxMan wrote:Didn't he go on to command the 918th BG at Archbury? He must have gone from a Captain to a General pretty quick.
*giggles*
Wed Feb 18, 2009 2:45 pm
Dark Helmet combs the desert planet looking for Princess Vespa?