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 07 APRIL 1945 - First Lieutenant Robert T. "Bob" Davis, pilot of "Playmate 36", departed
Puerto
Princessa (Palawan) for
Brunei Bay (Brunei) [map] at 0425, joining his escort of two
P-38's off
Jesselton Island at 0715. As they were proceeding on course past the Jap held town
of
Miri, they sighted
a flare about four miles off shore. Lieutenant Davis immediately altered his course and
soon sighted a life raft with three men aboard. He landed in a relatively smooth sea,
taxied up to the raft and effected the rescue of three survivors at 0800. The survivors
were returned to Puerto Princessa and transferred to the hospital. The survivors, 1Lt Pea,
2LT Phillips, and PFC E. Higgins, all members of the 42nd Bomb Group, reported that on 7
April 1945 their Squadron was assigned to bomb and strafe the Jap airstrip near Brunei
Town. Lieutenant Pea stated that while passing over the target at a minimum altitude with
all guns blazing, his ship struck a tree, extensively damaging the right wing and right
engine. Unable to gain altitude, he ordered all loose equipment and ammunition jettisoned.
The ship rapidly lost altitude and crashed out of control at 1200, two miles off the
target. The three survivors in the forward compartment escaped through the pilot's hatch,
but three men in the rear, apparently not having time to reach their ditching positions,
were killed in the crash and went down with the ship. A B-25 pilot in the same flight
dropped the survivors a life raft, circled them until they had recovered it, and returned
to his base.
The survivors, non of whom were
injured, paddled vigorously toward the open sea, but due to the wind and tide, made little
headway during the afternoon and following night. When picked up they were four miles off
the target but reported that the Japs had made no effort to capture them.
Rescued B-25 crew: 1LT Pea, 2LT Phillips, and PFC E. Higgins, all members of the 42nd
Bomb Group
AIRCRAFT TYPE:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33883
(CV-338)**
CALLSIGN:
"Playmate Three Six"
CREW:
(P) 1Lt Robert T. Davis [Back][Next]
*
Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
** Canadian Vickers contract number that was unique to
each
aircraft produced by at the Cartierville, Quebec plant
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