27 February 1942 - Crash of a P-40E Kittyhawk at Bankstown, NSW

CRASH OF A P-40E KITTYHAWK
AT BANKSTOWN, NSW
ON 27 FEBRUARY 1942

On 27 February 1942, at 0525 hours, a USAAF P-40E Kittyhawk, Serial No. #41-5551, 9th Pursuit Squadron, 49th Pursuit Group, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Gil M. Wilmarth, crashed when the left wheel landing gear failed. The left wheel, left wing and the propeller were damaged in the crash. The damaged aircraft was relocated to Geelong in Victoria. 2nd Lt. Wilmarth escaped injury.

This aircraft was later shot down by "Friendly Fire" in the Cox Peninsula area, near Darwin, in the Northern Territory on 4 April 1942.

Note:- The "Historical Record, 49th Ftr Gp, Chap I, Sec II" indicates that 2nd Lt. Wilmart was in the 7th Fighter Squadron rather than the 9th Fighter Squadron.

REFERENCE

Document prepared by 1st Lt. Elmore G. Brown, titled:-

"Headquarters, USA Air Forces in Australia
A-4. Aircraft Movements Status & Statistics Section
Location and Status of Damaged Aircraft in Australia"

Historical Record, 49th Ftr Gp, Chap I, Sec II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I'd like to thank Yvonne Kinkaid, Chris Jamesson and Gordon Birkett for their assistance with this page.

Can anyone help me with more information on this crash?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products