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 23 NOVEMBER 1944 -
First Lieutenant John R. Dickinson, pilot of
"Playmate One Three", took off from
Middleburg Island at 0200 with 1750 gallons of gas with orders to search for a P-38 pilot
reported shot down off Makassar Town, Southwest tip of the Celebes. On the trip down
Lieutenant Dickinson sighted a cluster of lights in Waperan and Waeplace Villages,
together with large numbers of lights at 03°05'S, 126°49'E. At 0700 ten single masted
boats and three schooners were seen at Wantji, on Wantji Island, none of which were
underway. At 0815 three 150 foot enemy vessels were seen underway in a bay at 05°41'S,
122°45'E. The rescue plane was joined by a fighter cover of P-38's at 0950 and then
proceeded to their orbit point arriving at 1015. At 1115 a life raft was sighted by one of
the escort planes about seven miles West of Makassar. The raft was showing sea marker and
mirror flashes. The landing was made at 1145 and First Lieutenant
Charles R. Strader Jr.
was taken aboard. The landing gear was lowered to assist in taxiing. The motors were not
cut due to the close proximity to enemy fighter strips. However, the hinge in the strut
well door broke and 20 minutes were required to remove the door before the jammed gear
could be raised. Take off was made at 1205. The escort, having been with the Cat for three
hours were low on gas and were dispersed at 1245. The rescue plane landed at Middleburg at
1945 with but 40 gallons of fuel left in the tanks. Total time in the air for that Cat was
18 hours and 15 minutes. The P-38's remained in the air ten hours and 15 minutes.
Lieutenant Strader was unhurt, but suffering from exposure and nervous shock. He related
the following events: On 22 November 1944, his Squadron while on a mission over Makassar,
strafing enemy airfields, and shipping, encountered heavy enemy fire which disabled two
P-38's. Both ships crashed just off the town. His companion, Colonel Westbrook,
apparently went down with
 his ship. Lieutenant Strader had his oxygen mask on and
estimated that he went down 40 feet before extracting himself. He came to the surface,
partially inflated his life raft, turned the blue side up and hid under it. He inflated
his life vest just enough to hold him up. Japanese surface craft searched for him for the
remainder of the day and throughout the night. On numerous occasions he was almost run
down by enemy surface craft, but he skillfully concealed himself and held on, in spite of
increasing fatigue and exhaustion. About 1100, the day of the rescue, he heard planes
approaching and after assuring himself that they were friendly, he flashed his mirror and
turned his raft over, yellow side up. The coolness and courage displayed by Lieutenant Strader in escaping from his ship and then avoiding capture by the Japs is a tribute to
American fortitude and desire to fight on.
See
the painting of this rescue! Read
the "Ode to the 2nd ERS" as written by Charles Strader!
See the
certificate by 1st Lt George Dubis of the 67th Fighter Squadron.
Rescued P-38 pilot:
1st Lt
Charles R. "Bob" Strader Jr.
AIRCRAFT
TYPE:
OA-10A
USAAF SERNO:
44-33878
CALLSIGN:
"Playmate One
Three"
CREW:
(Pilot) 1Lt John R. Dickinson
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