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By: - 15th August 2015 at 02:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you for sharing the link to that video and article. It has been great to follow the progress of the restoration of this aircraft (P-38F 42-12652) over time, especially this year, as it became the center focus at Westpac to have it completed and flying in 2015. The detail work in the restoration is phenomenal (Westpac-standard).
Here is a great photo just posted to the Westpac Facebook page a couple days ago (https://www.facebook.com/wwiiaviation), with "White 33" rolling on its landing gear for the first time in over 70-years, and with retired Col. Frank Royal on-hand to witness. As the article states, Col. Royal was the commanding officer of the 39th Fighter Squadron, for which "White 33" was originally assigned, and Col. Royal was one of a number of pilots who flew this particular aircraft during the war (the aircraft was later assigned to the 431st and 433rd Fighter Squadrons). It will be fantastic to see the aircraft's original wartime paint scheme re-applied and to be seen in "living color" - standard early ('42) OD over grey, blue nose cones (as can already be seen), sharks mouths on each engine nacelle, and "33" on the nose and vertical stabilizers.
By: - 15th August 2015 at 02:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
By the way, this link will bring you to a more up-to-date article on the aircraft and Col. Frank Royal: http://gazette.com/colorado-springs-man-gets-happy-reunion-with-world-war-ii-plane-he-piloted/article/1557425
By: - 15th August 2015 at 06:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
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great posting!
By: - 15th August 2015 at 21:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hope he gets to see it fly.
Brilliant !!!
Fingers crossed for em all. What a piece of history.
Bill T.
By: - 15th August 2015 at 21:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think it was back in 2012 when Frank Royal first came by the Westpac hangars and the connection was discovered, and a 39th FS reunion was later held at Westpac in 2012.
The aircraft's most well-known pilot is probably Kenneth Sparks, who was the aircraft's "assigned" pilot in the fall of 1942 when it entered action. A couple of the well known photos of this aircraft were taken just after the action that took place in late December of 1942, when Ken Sparks shot down a Japanese Zero, and in the course of the action had a mid-air collision with another Zero, which damaged the P-38's right wing tip and aileron, but tore off a section of the Zero's wing, sending that Zero crashing into the ocean. Sparks was able to get the P-38 safely back to base where it was then repaired and continued to be operational until 1944. (Ken Sparks was later killed in a State-side training accident in 1944.)
This aircraft was one of those recovered from the pit found at Finschafen Airfield (New Guinea) in 1999, where it had been buried immediately following the end of WWII. One of the other aircraft recovered from the pit was P-38J 42-103988 "Jandina III", which has also been said to be at Westpac and owned by the Flying Heritage Collection. On a portion of the original un-restored cockpit gondola of "White 33", the name of Lt. Jerome A. Gettler can still be seen applied, who ended up being the last pilot assigned to this aircraft during the war when it was part of the 433rd FS, 475th FG. Jerome Gettler was still alive and well when the aircraft was recovered and the restoration began, but sadly he passed away in 2012.
(By the way, Jerry Yagen/Military Aviation Museum also has a Pacific Theatre combat-vet P-38 coded "White 33", but that one is P-38H 42-66905, and named "Japanese Sandman II". As far as I'm aware, a restoration of that aircraft has not yet begun.)
By: - 16th August 2015 at 10:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The gondola, centre wing section, nacelles and engines of Japanese Sandman II are still in the oil palm plantation at Dobodura, Papua New Guinea. The 36th Fighter Squadron was the last Fifth Air Force unit to operate 42-12652, it was written off whilst the 36th were transitioning onto the P-38. Several other P-38s were written off during this period.
By: - 16th August 2015 at 14:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you for that information! Here I had thought for quite some time that the whole of "Japanese Sandman II" had already been transported to Precision in Australia, but only just the tail I take it? Also, I had forgotten all about 42-12652 being part of the 36th FS as well - likely flown by a number of pilots during that time, as I understand.
By: - 16th August 2015 at 14:31 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What a fantastic story! Great post!
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By: DavidIsby - 15th August 2015 at 00:12
http://gazette.com/friday-military-salute-making-world-war-ii-aviation-history-come-alive/article/1557376