49th Pursuit Squadron - 49th Fighter Group photo gallery and information

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 5AF 49FG7FS 49th Fighter Group 7th Fighter Squadron Don Lee Darwin Australia 1942

Profile 00:P-40E 'Pistoff' 7th Fighter Squadron 49th Fighter Group Lt. Don Lee Jr. Darwin Australia 1942.

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot William Hennon Darwin, Australia 1942 00

Profile 00-00A: P-40E (serialunknown) White 36 of Capt William J Hennon, 7th FS/49th FG, Darwin, Australia, Summer 1942. Hennon, the only American pilot to score five victories over Java, flew this P-40E after transferring to the 7th FS/49th FG in Darwin. Of interest are the red spinner, which many Philippines and Java veterans in the 49th FG painted on their aircraft, the stars around the nose, the flight leaders band around the rear fuselage and the large Bunyip screaming demon design, which the 7th FS later adopted, on the rudder. This aircraft was eventually wrecked in a collision. Hennon went on to score seven victories before completing his combat tour, and he later disappeared on a cross-country flight in March 1943 after returning to the US.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40 Warhawk 49FG LtCol Furlo Wagner transferred to 71TRG82TRS Borokoe Airfield Biak summer 1944 0A

Profile 0A: Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG named 'Daddy Please'flown by LtCol Furlo Wagner transferred to 71TRG82TRS Borokoe Airfield Biak summer 1944 This aircraft, with attractive pin-up painting on both sides of its nose, originally belonged to the 49th FG, where it flew with the number 10. In June 1944, it probably served as the personal aircraft of the commander of the 49th FG, Lt. Col. Furlo Wagner. At that time, it bore the number 00. Wagner served in command positions within the 35th FG from 1942 to 1944, and on November 22, 1942, he scored his only kill (Zero) in a P-39. He served with the 49th FG only briefly, from June 3 to July 19, 1944. He then returned to the 35th FG. The scheme shown here depicts the aircraft shortly after the 49th FG was re-equipped with P-38s, in the fall of 1944, and left its original P-40s at Biak. It was taken over by the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, 71st Tactical Reconnaissance Group, and subsequently underwent some changes in its color scheme, particularly the propeller spinner, which was painted yellow instead of blue and white. It is not entirely certain whether the top of the vertical tail surfaces remained blue with a black line. It is possible that this marking, referring to the previous user, was also painted over. With the 71st TRG, the aircraft first served with its original code 00, later receiving the number 15, and the yellow spinner was repainted, most likely in olive green. At Biak, the Warhawks already had their upper tail surfaces painted white.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK ROYAL CLASS DUAL COMBO 1/48 R0025

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS named 'Nita' later transferred to 71TRG82TRS Borokoe Airfield Biak September 1944 0A

Profile 0A: Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS named 'Nita' At a time when the US Air Force had already achieved air superiority in the New Guinea area, some aircraft were stripped of their camouflage paint and served in their natural metal color. Warhawk number 69 was additionally decorated with a drawing of a scantily clad young woman and the inscription “Nita.” In September 1944, this aircraft was assigned to the 82nd TRS, 71st TRG, where it was flown by Lt. Moffitt, a member of “A” Flight. At that time, the squadron used up to 18 P-40s, which gradually replaced the originally used P-39 Airacobra. Lt. Mike Moffitt kept the drawing of the woman on the nose of his Warhawk but had the inscription “Nita” removed because his wife’s name was Reba. It is likely that Moffitt later had his wife’s name painted on the nose, as he had done with the Airacobra he previously flew. However, there are no photographs documenting this appearance of his P-40N.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK ROYAL CLASS DUAL COMBO 1/48 R0025

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS flown by Lt Roger Farrell at Dobadura, New Guinea spring 1944 0A

Profile 0A: Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS named 'Island Dream' flown by Lt Roger Farrell at Dobadura, New Guinea spring 1944 The most significant user of Warhawks within the USAAF was the 49th FG, which entered combat with them in the spring of 1942, defending northern Australia against Japanese air raids. In October of that year, it moved to New Guinea, where it helped stop the Japanese advance from the north towards Port Moresby. In March 1943, it took part in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. In July 1944, the 49th FG was reequipped with P-38s, and its P-40s were taken over by other units. Lt. Farrell achieved three kills during the war, between October 1943 and February 1944. His aircraft, with its distinctive nose art and the name 'Island Dream', bore the usual color scheme of the time, including a white tail, while the upper side of the horizontal tail surfaces was left in Olive Drab during the fighting over New Guinea. It cannot be ruled out that the fighter also had a bluecolored tip on the rudder.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK ROYAL CLASS DUAL COMBO 1/48 R0025

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG7FS White 12 Lt Harold J Martin based at Horn Island Torres Strait Australia spring 1942 0A

Profile 0A: On March 14,1942, Lt. Martin achieved his only aerial victory with this aircraft. It happened when, with other members of the 7th FS, he attacked a formation of eight Betty bombers from the 4 Kokutai. Martin flew as a member of B Flight, led by 2Lt Bill Reddington. When the American fighters launched their attack on the Japanese bombers, he separated from his flight, approached the three bombers on the left side of the formation and, according to reports, first fired at the entire section and then focused on the Betty flying on the far left. He emptied all his ammunition into it, broke away to the left, and with empty magazines, decided to return to base on Horn Island, which was being strafed by accompanying Zeros after the Japanese Betty’s bombs hit the base. Martin managed to avoid combat with them and landed safely at the damaged airfield. Here, during his debriefing, he was severely reprimanded by the squadron commander for leaving formation and engaging in combat on his own. Despite the claims of American pilots, according to Japanese reports, none of the attacking bombers were shot down but some were damaged. The Warhawk named Minnesota Gopher had a picture of a chicken in a flight helmet painted on its tail, which was probably the emblem of one of the 7th FS flight. The aircraft served with the squadron until June 13, 1942, when it crashed on landing and had to be sent to a service unit for a general overhaul, after which it was transferred to the RAAF.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK 1/48 https://www.eduard.com/eduard/p-40n-warhawk-1-48-1-2.html

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS named 22 Grade A based at Finschhafen Morobe New Guinea Sep 1944 0A

Profile 0A: Aircraft number 22 was part of a series of 7th FS Warhawks decorated with a painting of a girl on the engine cowling. The author of the paintings was Johnie Dunne, who also decorated the noses of Daddy Please / Milky Wagon Express, Dawn Patrol, Island Dream, Empty Saddle, Scarlet Night, and others with his characteristic style. Not much is known about the history of the aircraft named Grade A. It is reported that it was occasionally flown by Capt. Elliott E. Dent Jr. Further information is linked to Lt. Warren Greczyn, a pilot of Polish origin, who shot down two Ki-43 Oscars over Biak on May 15, 1944, while flying Grade A. This profile shows the final appearance of Grade A in the 7th FS, as documented at Finschhafen Airfield in September 1944. Here, along with other Warhawks from the 7th FS, it was stripped of its weapons and decommissioned. The aircraft was unusual in that it did not have white-painted leading edges on its wings. It also did not have the blue paint on the top of the rudder indicating its affiliation with the 7th FS, and the serial number was also painted over. Many of the decommissioned Warhawks of the 49th FG were subsequently used by the 71st TRG, which used them during the fighting in the Philippines in early 1945.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK 1/48 https://www.eduard.com/eduard/p-40n-warhawk-1-48-1-2.html

 USAAF 41-36243 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS Lt John Landers Texas Longhorn ET889 Port Moresby New Guinea 1942 0A

Profile 0A: A set of photographs from the deployment in New Guinea is available for the Warhawk named Texas Longhorn. However, not a single photograph shows the tactical number on the tail or the British registration number. According to the author of the publication about the 49th FG named Protect and Avenge, this aircraft was never used for combat missions. In January 1943, the Longhorn was transferred from the 9th FS to the 8th FS, where it served until March 2, 1943, when Lt. Cyrus Lynd took off from Port Moresby and crashed fatally northeast of Kokoda. The wreckage of the aircraft was found after the war, and in addition to parts of the nose bearing the name of the aircraft, the tail surfaces also preserved the number 81 (the number was changed to 82 later, but only fractions of it remained on the wreckage) and the serial number ET889. These clues support the assumption that during his service with the 9th FS in the second half of 1942, John Landers used Longhorn as his personal aircraft. He posed for a photographer in front of the decorated nose of the fighter, although according to one opinion, this was only for promotional purposes. Before moving to New Guinea, Landers was assigned Warhawk No. 81, nicknamed Skeeter, which he flew until September 1942. He later fought successfully in Europe and named his P-51 Mustangs Big Beautiful Doll.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK 1/48 https://www.eduard.com/eduard/p-40n-warhawk-1-48-1-2.html

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot William Hennon Darwin, Australia 1942 01

P-40 E 36 white, 7th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Darwin, Australia, 1942. Flown by Capt. William J. Hennon. The upper colour was sometimes given as dark green. The underside was neutral grey.

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG7FS Yellow 12 Little Jeanne.

Photos Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Alexander Watts 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Andrew Corriqan 01

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Paul J Slocum beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1195

Photo description: Paul J. Slocum of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23255AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955597 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32522-23255AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Joe King beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1195

Photo description: Joe King of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23256AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955600 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32523-23256AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Arnold Stanton beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1099

Photo description: Arnold Stanton and crew of the 49th Fighter Group pose beside a plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23259AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955603 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32524-23259AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Robert A McDaris beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1101

Photo description: Robert A. McDaris of the 49th fighter Group beside his plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23260AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955606 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32525-23260AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot David Baker beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA113

Photo description: David Baker of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an airbase somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23261AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955609 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32526-23261AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Clyde Knisley beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1105

Photo description: Pilot Clyde Knisley and crew of the 49th Fighter Group pose beside a plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23262AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955612 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32527-23262AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Robert V McHale beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1107

Photo description: Robert V. McHale of the 49th Fighter Group beside his plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23266AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955615 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32528-23266AC

 American USAAF 49FG pilot Lucius D LaCroix beside his Curtiss P-40 Warhawk in New Guinea NA1109

Photo description: Pilot Lucius D. LaCroix and crew of the 49th Fighter Group pose beside a plane at an air base somewhere in New Guinea. (U.S. Air Force Number 23267AC)

Photo Source: National Archives Identifier NAID: 204955618 Local ID: 342-FH-3A32529-23267AC

Gday Matthew,
No problems mate.. happy for you to host them on your site!
Cheers for asking - will have to check out your site too.
Andrew
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Chris Thurtell 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Craig Murry 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Darren Howie 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne George Canciani 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Glenn Alderton 01
Warbird P-40E 49FG7FS Y12 Little Jeanne Joe Corriqan 01

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG7FS Yellow 15 Pilot Edgar Ball Darwin, Australia 1942 00

Profile 00: P-40E Yellow 15 7th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Darwin, Australia, 1942. Flown by Lt. Edgar Ball. Former RAF allocated aircraft ET603 named Scatter Brain.

 Curtiss P-40K Warhawk 49FG7FS White 256 Pilot A. T. House Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40K Warhawk white 13 operated by 7th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Mile Field, Port Moresby, Australia, October 1943. Flown by Lt. A. T. House, three kills aboard this plane named 'Poopy II'.

 Curtiss P-40K Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Franklin Nichols Port Moresby, New Guinea March 1943

Profile 00: Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40K Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Franklin Nichols Port Moresby, New Guinea March 1943 01

Profile 01: P-40K-1 42-45966 White 24 of Capt Franklin A Nichols, 7th FS/49th FG, Port Moresby, New Guinea, March 1943. USAAF P-40s did not only wear sharkmouths in China. Nichols, a Pearl Harbor survivor, flew this P-40K while serving in New Guinea as a flight commander, operations officer and deputy CO in the 7th FS/49th FG. It carries the nickname of his NIP NIPPERS red flight on the cowling and twin command stripes on the rear fuselage. Nichols transferred to the newly formed 431st FS/475th FG, flying P-38s, in June 1943, and scored his fifth, and last, victory with that unit. He made a career in the USAF, retiring in 1970 as a major general.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40K Warhawk 49FG7FS White 29 Pilot Arland Stanton Port Moresby, New Guinea March 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40K-1 42-46292 White/Blue 29 of 2Lt Arland Stanton, 7th FS/49th FG, Port Moresby, New Guinea, March 1943. Stanton was a replacement pilot who joined the 7th FS/49th FG in the autumn of 1942 in New Guinea, where he was assigned to Nick Nichols Nip Nippers flight. He scored his first victory on 30 November 1942 over Buna while flying with Nichols. In his second combat, flown in this aircraft on 6 February 1943, Stanton shot down a Zero and damaged a Kawasaki Ki-48 Lily bomber during a big scrap near the forward airstrip at Wau. Exactly one year later, on 6 February 1944, the young Pennsylvanian scored his fifth confirmed kill.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Black 36 New Guinea 1944 01

Photo 01: Was assigned to the RAAF as A29-694, and later transferred back to the US 49FG7FS coded B36.

A rarity, a natural metal P-40. This particular bird is a P-40N-25 of the 7th Squadron, 49th Fighter Group photographed at Middleburg Island after a sweep over Sorong and other western points of Dutch New Guinea. At the time  the 7th was at Biak Island getting ready to convert to the P-38. Note remnant aircraft serial number under the tail plane, mostly covered by the national insignia and the 49ths distinctive white tail.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Nathaniel Blanton New Guinea 1943 00

Profile 01: P-40N, 7th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), New Guinea, 1943, flown by Capt. Nathaniel H. Blanton.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Miller New Guinea 1943 01

Photo 01:Lt. Miller flew this P-40 with a diamond checkered rudder, number 16 of the 7th Squadron. A Zero chased him 50 miles before forcing him to crash land. [Bob Kopitzke]

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Arland Stanton Gusap, New Guinea Feb 1944

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Pilot Arland Stanton Gusap, New Guinea Feb 1944 01

Profile 01: P-40N-5 (serial unknown) White 20 of Capt Arland Stanton, CO of the 7th FS/49th FG, Gusap; New Guinea, February 1944. Stanton was appointed CO of the 7th FS/49th FG in November 1943, taking KEYSTONE KA THLENE as his personal aircraft. It had the name Empty Saddle, accompanied by nose art showing a reclining nude woman, on the lower right cowling, and also displayed the white tail and leading edge markings adopted by the Fifth Air Force in the summer of 1943. He was flying the aircraft on 6 February 1944 when he achieved ace status with a single kill while escorting A-20 strafers over Muschu Island. Stanton scored three more times during the spring of 1944 to bring his final victory tally to eight confirmed and one damaged during his long combat tour.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS Black 7 Pilot Richard Johnson New Guinea 1944 00

Profile 00: P-40N Warhawk operated by 7th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), New Guinea, 1944, flown by Major Richard Johnson. He made his 13th kill on the 14th October 1944 against a Ki-44 Tojo over Balikpapan and finished the war with 24 victories of which 14 were on P-40s, the rest of P-38s whilst in the 49th Fighter Group.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS White 24 Pilot Elliott Dent Gusap, New Guinea Jan 1944 0A-B

Profile 01: P-40N-5 (serial unknown) White 24 of 1Lt Elliott E Dent Jr, 7th FS/49th FG, Gusap, New Guinea, late January 1944. Dent scored the first of his three P-40 victories on 3 July 1943, just six weeks after joining the 7th FS/49th FG. His next chance to score came six months later, on 23 January 1944, when he shot down two Zeros near Cape Torabu. He achieved three more victories during a single mission in November 1944 after his squadron had transitioned to P-38s. The red border on the national markings of Dents P-40N identifies it as a replacement aircraft delivered to the 49th FG in late 1943 - the name Anne The Bham Special on the cowling refers to the city of Birmingham, Alabama, where Dent went into business after the war.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS White 30 New Guinea 1943 01

Photo 01: P-40N-15-CU of the 7th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Squadron at Biak in September 1944. The 49th produced possibly the greatest variety of markings worn by the P-40, sharing only a white tail and wing leading edge in common. And these were frequently altered by personal variations. [James P. Gallagher]

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS White 45 Pilot Pierre Alford 00

Profile 00:P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Nr.45 'Dont Worry' Pilot: Lt. Pierre S. Alford

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Robert White Dobodura, New Guinea May 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40E-1 41-25174 White 54 of 2Lt Robert H White, 8th FS/49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, May 1943. Bob White left his home in Kansas City, Missouri, to join the USAAF as an aviation cadet just five days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Like Bob Howard, he joined the 8th FS in late 1942 and scored his first five victories between 7 January and 14 May 1943 to join the growing list of aces. During the 14 May interception at Oro Bay, White scored one of 13 victories credited to the 8th FS, a feat which earned the squadron the first Distinguished Unit Citation to be awarded to an individual squadron during the World War 2.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Robert Howard Dobodura, New Guinea May 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40E 41-5648 White 59 of 2Lt Robert L Howard, 8th FS/ 49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, May 1943. Howard joined the 8th FS at Dobodura in late 1942. On 7 January 1943, flying this P-40E, he downed a Zero and claimed a second as a probable, but he was shot up in the fight and had to make an emergency landing without flaps or brakes. The aircraft was not badly damaged, however, and Howard went on to score four further victories in it by 14 May 1943. JAYNE CARMEN was named after Howards girlfriend, and it carried the name Gremlins Rendezvous on the right side of the nose. Howard scored his sixth, and last, victory in a P-40N on 21 September 1943.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot James Morehead Darwin, Australia April 1942 01

Profile 01: P-40E-1 41-36171 White 61 of 1Lt James B Morehead, 8th FS/49th FG, Darwin, Australia, 25 April 1942. This very plain P-40E-1 was typical of the aircraft flown by the 49th FG in the opening months of the defense of Darwin. Morehead, who had scored his first two victories during the fighting in Java, was credited with shooting down three Japanese twin-engined bombers in this aircraft on 25 April 1942 as a member of the 8th FS/49th FG. Morehead was thoroughly shot up by Zeros during the fight and crash-landed near Adelaide River. He was unhurt, but the P-40 never flew again. His next aircraft was White 51, nicknamed LAce. After completing his tour in the Pacific, Morehead went back to war flying P-38s in the Mediterranean theatre, where he scored his eighth, and last, victory on 6 June 1944.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Nelson Flack Dobodura, New Guinea May 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40E-1 (serial unknown) Yellow 42 of 1Lt Nelson D Flack Jr, 8th FS/49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, May 1943. A Pennsylvanian, Flack learned to fly with the Royal Canadian Air Force before transferring to the USAAF in March 1942 to complete his training. He joined the 8th FS/49th FG in May 1943 at Dobodura, where he was assigned this P-40E. Flack did not score in it, but on 7 November 1943 he shot down a Zeke and probably got another while flying a P-40N. His second Warhawk kill came over a Kawasaki Ki-61 Tony on 14 February 1944, but he was shot down in the fight and broke his arm when he crash-landed in the jungle. After returning to combat Flack scored three further kills in P-38s.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot William Day Dobodura, New Guinea March 1943

Profiles 01-02: P-40E-1 41-35972 Yellow 43 of 1Lt William C Day Jr, 8th FS/49th FG, Dobodura, New Guinea, March 1943. Bill Day served in the 8th FS throughout the units defence of Darwin but did not score his first victory before moving to Port Moresby on 1 November 1942. On 11 March 1943 he shot down a Zeke and a Mitsubishi G4M Betty off the coast of New Guinea for his fourth and fifth victories, making him the first 8th FS pilot to become an ace in New Guinea proper. Day spent some 28 months in the south-west Pacific area before returning to the US in April 1944. This P-40E, the second assigned to Day, carried the name MARY-WILLIE on right side of its nose, and had four yellow bomb spokes on each wheel centre.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 5FC Pilot Ellis Wright Dobodura, New Guinea May 1943

Profile 00-00A: P-40E-1 (serial unknown) Yellow 49 of Capt Ellis W Wright Jr, V Fighter Command headquarters, Dobodura, New Guinea, May 1943. Wright earned his wings in 1940 and was stationed in Hawaii at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. He joined the 49th FG in late 1942 as 8th FS operations executive, often flying this colourful P-40E. He transferred to V Fighter Command as assistant operations director in March 1943, by which time he had three confirmed victories to his credit. On 11 April 1943 Wright shot down three Zeros in a single engagement while defending shipping at Oro Bay, taking his victory total to six He rotated back to the US in June 1943, but returned to combat during the Korean War.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Clyde Barnett Darwin, Australia 1942 01

Photo 01: This was the second P-40E named West Palm Beach PLAY-BOY to be flown by It Clyde H Smiley Barnett Jr during his time with the 8th FSI 49th FG. The fighters markings included the number 55 on the fin in white and a white outline on the US ARMY titling under its wings. Barnett scored four confirmed victories and rose to become squadron operations executive officer (lling via Steve Ferguson)

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot George Kiser Darwin, Australia May 1942

Profile 01: P-40E (serial unknown) Yellow 57 of Capt George E Kiser, 8th FS/49th FG, Darwin, Australia, May 1942. King Kiser, considered by many contemporaries to be the best fighter pilot in the south-west Pacific, was already an ace when he joined the 8th FS, having destroyed two enemy aircraft in the Philippines on the third day of the war and three more during the Java campaign. His P-40E in the 8th FS, photographed at Darwin in May 1942, carried his personal lion (king of the jungle) artwork, seven red dots representing his victory total at the time, and the red forward spinner denoting a Philippines/Java veteran. It also reportedly had its two outboard machine guns removed to save weight and improve maneuverability. Kiser scored nine victories in the Pacific. He returned to combat in 1944, flying P-47s in the European theatre, but did not add to his score.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot George Kiser Darwin, Australia May 1942 01

Photo 01: 1Lt George E King Kiser became the first ace of the 17th Provisional PS in Java when he shot down his fifth Japanese aircraft on 24 February 1942. With the fall of Java, he joined the 8th FS/49th FG in Darwin and flew this P-40E, which featured fuselage art showing a lion with a Zero in one paw and its pilot in the other. Kiser scored nine confirmed victories in P-40s. He flew a second combat tour later in the war, flying P-47s with the Ninth Air Force, but did not add to his score (Young via Steve Ferguson)

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

I stumbled across your site and thought you may be interested in including the photo credits for a couple of the images.
My grandfather Clyde H. Barnett Jr. was a pilot in the 8th Squadron, 49th Pursuit Group and took both the Ben Duke photo with his crew chief at Strauss Airstrip and the P-40 formation photograph. The formation photograph was taken in late April 1942 and was one of his favorites that he titled Blue Flight (I say one of his favorites because Ive had a large framed print of it since I was a kid). My grandfather was an avid photographer his entire life and he took a lot of black and whites during his time in Australia and New Guinea, and you can be almost certain that any color images during that time were from him as well.
Thank you for preserving the history and memories of so many.
Sincerely,
Brian S. Barnett

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Yellow 42 Pilot Robert White Marilinan, New Guinea Nov 1943

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Yellow 42 Pilot Robert White Marilinan, New Guinea Nov 1943 01

Profile 01: P-40N-5 42-104990 Yellow 42 of Capt Robert H White, 8th FS/49th FG, Marilinan, New Guinea, November 1943. A four-month scoring drought came to an end for White not long after he received this P-40N, his third KANSAS CITY KIDDIE, when he shot down two Bettys and a Tony on 6 September 1943 near Lae, New Guinea. He scored once more, taking his total to nine confirmed victories and one probable, before completing his combat tour in December 1943.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Yellow 45 Pilot Marion Felts Gusap, New Guinea June 1944 00

Profile 00: P-40N Warhawk operated by 8th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Gusap, June 1944. Flown by Lt. Marion Felts. This plane had its original olive drab removed after an accident and subsequent repairs; it only kept the yellow 45 on the green background. The tail is white which continues under the American roundel for better visibility.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Yellow 46 Pilot Robert Aschenbrener Marilinan, New Guinea Dec 1943 00

Profile 00: P-40N-5 (serial unknown) Yellow 46 of 1Lt Robert W Aschenbrener, 8th FS/49th FG, Marilinan, New Guinea, December 1943. Aschenbrener was just beginning to make his mark in the 8th FS as veteran aces such as Harris, Howard and White were completing their combat tours. Flying this P-40N, which was named after his mother, Aschenbrener claimed his first two victories on 15 November 1943 when he shot down an Oscar and a Zeke near Gusap. He scored once more in the aircraft before converting to P-38s, and eventually ran his score to ten confirmed and one damaged.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Donald Meuten Gusap, New Guinea Apr 1944 00

Profile 00: P-40N-5 42-105834 Yellow 51 of 1Lt Donald W Meuten, 8th FS/49th FG, Gusap, New Guinea, April 1944. Meuten was another replacement pilot who joined the 8th FS in late 1943 and soon began running up a score. Flying this rather plain P-40N, he recorded six confirmed victories between 15 November 1943 and 12 March 1944, when he was credited with a triple kill during a fight near Wewak. Meuten disappeared in this aircraft on 7 May 1944 shortly after moving with his unit to the recently captured airfield at Hollandia.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Donald Meuten Gusap, New Guinea Apr 1944 0A

Profile 00A: P-40N Warhawk operated by 87th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Gusap, New Guinea, February 1944, flown by Lt. Don Meuten, six victories. Camouflage was olive drab, neutral grey.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Sammy Pierce Marilinan, New Guinea Aug 1943

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Sammy Pierce Marilinan, New Guinea Aug 1943 01

Profile 01: P-40N-5 (serial unknown) Yellow 55 of 2Lt Sammy A Pierce, 8th FS/49th FG, Marilinan, New Guinea, August 1943. Pierces KAY was amongst the first batch of P-40Ns assigned to V Fighter Command in the summer of 1943, these aircraft being sent to New Guinea to replace ageing P-40E/Ks. Pierce had already scored three confirmed victories by this time. He flew this P-40N, which carried the name HAILEAH WOLF on the right side of nose, for several months, but did not claim any confirmed victories in it. After completing his first combat tour in May 1944, Pierce served briefly as a test pilot in the US before returning to the 8th FS. On 26 December 1944, he shot down four Japanese fighters to bring his final total to seven confirmed victories.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Sammy Pierce Marilinan, New Guinea Aug 1943 02-03

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Ernest Harris Marilinan, New Guinea Nov 1943

Curtiss P-40N, 8th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Kalamazoo, Guadalcanal, in 1943, flown by Ernie Harris, unit commander, 10 kills on P-40 and the first ace in the Pacific to reach this score on this type of machine.

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG8FS Pilot Ernest Harris Marilinan, New Guinea Nov 1943 01

Profile 01: P-40N-5 42-104947 Yellow 67 of Maj Ernest A Harris, CO of the 8th FS/49th FG, Marilinan, New Guinea, November 1943. Double ace Ernie Harris was one of the top P-40 pilots of the Pacific air war. He was known for more than just his stick-and-rudder talents, however, as members of the 8th FS considered him to be the best squadron commander in the business. This aircraft replaced Harriss P-40E in the summer of 1943, and he scored his last confirmed victory in it on 21 September 1943, plus an unconfirmed 11th kill two months later. Harris was killed in a jet fighter crash in 1949 while serving in Germany.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS Pilot Jack Donalson Darwin, Australia Jun 1942 00

Profile 00: P-40E-1 41-24809 White 83 of 2Lt I B Jack Donalson, 9th FS/49th FG, Darwin, Australia, June 1942. Donalson scored three confirmed victories over Nichols Field, in the Philippines, on the first day of the war, and later escaped to Australia. There, he joined Blue Flight of the 9th FS/49th FG, and participated in the defense of Darwin. This was the first of Donalsons two P-40Es named MAUREE. It had a white spiral design on its wheel centers. He scored one victory in this aircraft on 14 June 1942, then wrecked it in a twilight landing two days later. Donalson scored his fifth kill on 30 July flying the replacement MAUREE, Warhawk 41-36090.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS Pilot John A Angel White 84 Australia 1943

Curtiss P-40E flown by Lt John A Angel as part of the 49th FG, Australia. Was assigned to RAF as ET286 but supposedly remained in USA.

AAIR:(USA) - Crashed during landing at Hillgrove, RI Dec 1, 1942. Repaired, off Jul 30, 1944. Base:Foster Field, Victoria, TX crashed near TX USA Pilot:Porter, Foyle E Date:Jul 21, 1944. Was assigned to RAF as ET286 but remained in USA.

http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/

AAIR Search Result For Serial Number: 41-24962

Date

A/c

Serial No.

Sqdn

Group

Home Base

AF

Action

D

Pilot

Country

US State

Location

440204

P-40E

41-24962

99SEFTS

Foster Field, Victoria, TX

LAC

3

Louis J Churchville

USA

TX

Foster Field, Victoria, TX

421128

P-40E

41-24962

317FS

Hillsgrove AAF, RI

Harry E Eyerley

USA

RI

Hillsgrove, RI

440721

P-40E

41-24962

2539BU

Foster Field, Victoria, TX

TAC

3

Doyle E Porter

USA

TX

Foster Field, TX

430723

P-40E

41-24962

99 SEFTS

Foster Field, TX

LAC

3

William J Weaver

USA

TX

Aux Field 2

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS Pilot J. Clay Tice Darwin, Australia, 1942 00

Profile 01: P-40 E 85 white, 9th Fighter Squadron (49th Fighter Group), Darwin, Australia, 1942. Flown by J. Clay Tice Jnr. Camouflage was dark earth and dark green according to the British Temperate Land Scheme with an Azure Blue underside.

Planes and Pilots: Curtiss P40 Vol 3 From 1939 to 1945.

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS White 86 Lt. Andrew Reynolds named Stardust Darwin Australia Jul 1942

Profile 00-00A: P-40E-1 (RAF serial probably ET503) White 86 Star Dust of 2Lt Andrew J Reynolds, 9th FS/49th FG, Darwin, Australia, July 1942. Reynolds was the first high-scoring P-40 ace of the Pacific air war, achieving 9.333 confirmed victories between 6 February and 30 July 1942. His first kills came during the Java campaign before he joined the 9th FS in Australia. Soon appointed commander of Blue Flight, Reynolds became an ace on 4 April when he shot down a Japanese bomber and a Zero which were raiding Darwin. His distinctively-marked Warhawk - actually a reverse-Lend Lease Kittyhawk - carried the name Oklahoma Kid on the right side engine cowling.

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

 Curtiss P-40E Warhawk 49FG9FS Pilot Clyde Harvey Darwin, Australia 1942 01

Photo 01: Lt Clyde L Harvey Jr flew sharkmouthed Kittyhawk White 92 with the 9th FS/49th FG from Darwin in 1942. The aircraft still bears the RAF serial ET810 in black on the rear fuselage, and it appears to have a darker colour on the propeller spinner than its dark green/dark earth equivalent uppersurface camouflage. Harvey scored three victories during his combat tour (Steve Ferguson)

Osprey - P-40 Warhawk Aces of the Pacific (Aircraft of the Aces 55)

This aircraft was later written off in a take-off incident. 49FG9FS Base:Livingstone Field, NT DAM-CAT:5 reached insufficent power for takeoff crashed near Livingstone Field, NT Australia Pilot:Harvey, Clyde L Jr Date:Oct 04,1942

 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk 49FG7FS White 00 named Daddy Please at Cyclops Airfield Hollandia New Guinea May 1944 0A

Profile 0A: Warhawks of the 49th FG were well known for their noseart, with scantily clad ladies being quite popular. The author of many of these was John Dunne. The aircraft with the port side inscription 'Daddy Please’ and starboard side 'Milk Wagon Express' served with the 49th FG from the summer of 1943. Initially, the tactical number'10' was carried, which during the course of its career was changed to '00'. Although the name of the plane's pilot is not known, the number from 0 to 10 suggests, that it was someone from the command structure of the 49th FG. In the summer of 1944, the aircraft was transferred to the 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, operating under the 71st TRG, and flew combat missions out of Biak Atoll. At that time, the spinner became yellow. The white leading edges of the wings were a quick recognition aid of friendly aircraft, a practice started by the 5th AF in the summer of'43.

Eduard P-40N WARHAWK 1/32 https://www.eduard.com/eduard/eduart/plastic-kits/aircraft/1-32/warhawk-1-32.html