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 05 NOVEMBER 1944 -
First Lieutenant Denzil L. Kathman, pilot of
"Daylight
Two One"
, departed Morotai
with instructions to search for a B-24 crew and P-38 pilot reported to have gone down in Guimaras Strait, just South of Guimaras Island, West of San Entique on Negros Island. They
proceeded to the rendezvous point where they sighted their P-38 escorts ten miles to the
West. The P-38's circled them and escorted them Northeast to a point ten miles off San
Entique. Two P-38's covered the Jap airstrip at Le Carlota while the other two searched
the area between Guimaras Island and La Carlota on Negros. The P-38's located their lost
pilot just off a small unnamed island, six miles off the shore of Negros Island,
(10°25'N, 122°50'E) near the town of San Entique. The rescue ship was directed to the
survivor, landed in a smooth sea and took him aboard at 1115. During their stay on the
water, the P-38 pilots admonished them repeatedly to hurry. They had some difficulty in
starting the starboard engine causing them to remain on the water longer than they had
expected. However, in 15 minutes both engines started up and they took off. The two P-38's
covering the strip gave it a final burst of machine gun fire and then headed for the
rescue ship, which they closely escorted until they were well South of Mindanao Gulf where
the P-38's dipped their wings and left them. They proceeded homeward arriving arriving at
their base at on Morotai at 1710. The mission requiring 12 hours and 40 minutes. The B-24
crew was not sighted. During their search and rescue in the gulf, they observed large
fires on the Southeast coast of Panay. No enemy ships intercepted them during this
mission. The rescued pilot, 2Lt Gerald Lowrey, 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group,
stated that while on a strafing mission, 5 November 1944, his ship was severely damaged
near La Carlota and he was forced to bail out of his plane ten miles South of Guimaras
Island at 1100. He did not inflate his life raft as the Japs saw him leave the ship and
sent boats out to search for him. However, he paddled around avoiding them until darkness.
He was near a small unnamed island and swam around it three times during the night, not
daring to go ashore. When picked up he was 10 to 15 miles Northeast of his ditching
position and was indeed happy to see the PBY coming to him. The crew of the rescue ship
and their P-38 escort deserve the highest praise for their daring rescue deep in enemy
territory. The cooperation of the P-38 escort was excellent.
RESCUED
P-38 PILOT:
2Lt Gerald Lowrey, 36th Fighter Squadron, 8th Fighter Group
AIRCRAFT
TYPE:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33875 (CV-325)**
("Axle
Ass Annie")
CALLSIGN:
"Daylight
Two One"
CREW:
(Pilot)
1Lt Denzil L. Kathman, (Co-Pilot) 1Lt Larry E. Bormann
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*
Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
** Canadian Vickers contract number that was unique to each
aircraft produced by at Cartierville
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