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 22 OCTOBER 1944 - First Lieutenant George
A. Barnes, pilot of "Daylight One Three", departed his base at 0630 on a special
mission with instructions to search along the Southern coast of Waigeo and the shores of
the Jeffman Island Group for seven P-47 pilots ("Tubby Flight") who had ditched their planes
the preceding evening while returning from a fighter sweep over Ceram. The pilots, in
their eagerness to destroy the enemy, departed their target with scarcely sufficient fuel
to make their base. On their return trip, they encountered bad weather and while trying to
orient themselves, discovered that they were unable to reach their base with their supply
of fuel. They all agreed to dive down through an opening in the clouds and ditch their
planes in the sea. One pilot, with more gas than the others, climbed to 13,000 feet, contacted his base,
permitting them to get his position. After they had located him on a true bearing of
200°, 105 miles West of
Middleburg Island, he went
down through the clouds and landed on the sea. The pilots were naturally scattered over a
relatively wide area. Lieutenant Barnes made no sighting along the coast of Waigeo and
proceeded on West to the Jeffman Island Group, where on an unnamed island he sighted two survivors. He landed and taxied inshore taking
the two pilots, Cpt O. S. Benner and 1Lt K. J. Grapeau aboard. They were in excellent
condition. After taking off, two escorting P-47 pilots sighted another man down in the sea
in his life vest. Lieutenant Barnes flew to that area and and picked up Lieutenant R. W.
Powell, who was in good shape, but very nervous and anxious. His hands were lacerated from
the 15 hour immersion in the salt water. The fighters located another pilot in a life raft
about ten miles away and directed Lieutenant Barnes to him. Lieutenant Barnes landed for
the third time and took the survivor, 1Lt G. E. Taylor, aboard. Lieutenant Taylor was in a
moderately severe state of shock, brought on by his being forced to remain in the water
alone throughout the night. The fact that he could not swim added to his apprehensiveness.
He was given a half grain of morphine and readily fell into a deep sleep. Lieutenant
Barnes took off and and on his way back flew over the island where he had picked up the
first two survivors and sighted another pilot waving frantically. However, Lieutenant
Barnes was unable to land due to insufficient fuel. He called his fighter cover to
continue circling the survivor while he contacted "Daylight 33" who proceeded to
the area and rescued the fifth survivor. The survivors aboard Daylight 13, were given
food, medical care, and otherwise made comfortable. Lieutenant Taylor was taken to the
hospital for rest and recuperation and the others were returned to their squadron. The
remaining two P-47 pilots were rescued the following day.
See a some photos of the planes underwater today!
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several accounts of the ditching by the P-47 pilots who were involved!
RESCUED
P-47 PILOTS:
MAJ Harry M. Odren, (Lost P-47D-21, SerNo. 43-25642)
Capt.
Stephen 0. Benner, (Lost P-47D-21, SerNo. 42-25417)
1Lt Kenneth J. Grapeau,
(Lost P-47D-16, SerNo. 42-75935)
1Lt George E. Taylor, (Lost P-47D-23,
SerNo. 42-27631)
1Lt Jack T. Brown, (Lost
P-47D-15, SerNo. 42-23235)
1Lt Donald L. Murrie, (Lost
P-47D-16,
SerNo. 42-75893)
1Lt Robert W. Powell, (Lost P-47D-21, SerNo. 43-25636)
AIRCRAFT:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33???
CALLSIGN:
"Daylight
One Three"
CREW:
(Pilot) 1Lt George A. Barnes, (Co-Pilot) 1Lt Charles F. Tully, (N) 1Lt Harry I.Schulman, (Engineer) M/Sgt Charles B. Bendladge, (Radar) Sgt James B. Standridge, (Radio) Cpl
Theodore Fialkowski
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*
Aircraft produced at Canadian Vickers Ldt, Cartierville, Quebec, Canada
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