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 25
SEPTEMBER 1944 - First Lieutenant
Jarvis T. "Yag"
Yagla, pilot of
"Daylight 28", while covering a strike on Kendari in the
Celebes, received
a message from Rainbow (1210) stating that a stricken
P-38, 15 miles Northeast of
Manoei
Island was on one engine and was heading
for
Padea Besar Island.
Lieutenant Yagla spotted 3 P-38's circling the damaged plane and watched as he made
several passes looking for the best spot to ditch. The P-38 made a perfect belly landing
on the rim of the shore line on the South side of Padea Besar Island (03°32S, 123°06'W). Lieutenant Yagla
continued to circle until pattern for water landing was established. It is to be noted
that the sea was rough. Despite the fact the landing was made in the lee of the island,
five foot waves were experienced. The rescue ship was taxied within 50 yards of the downed
P-38 pilot, dropped the landing gear, and paralleled the shoreline. The ditched pilot had
no difficulty reaching the rescue ship (1250). The rescued pilot, Lieutenant Colonel
Leland McGowan, 12th Fighter Squadron, stated that his plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire
disabling one engine and chose to ditch. Once out of his damaged fighter, his fellow P-38
pilots riddled his plane with fire, rendering it unusable and setting it ablaze. Lieutenant Yagla
was diverted from
Middleburg Island
to
Noemfoor due to bad weather.
RESCUED MAN:
Lieutenant Colonel Leland McGowan, 12th Fighter Squadron,
12th Fighter Group
AIRCRAFT
TYPE:
OA-10A*
USAAF SERNO:
44-33882
(CV-336)**
CALLSIGN:
"Daylight Two
Eight"
CREW:
(Pilot) 1Lt
Jarvis T. Yagla, (Co-Pilot) 2Lt Richard K.
Knowlton, (Navigator) 2Lt Peter V. Taylor, T/Sgt Robert S. Jones, (Radio) Pfc Theodore
Fialkowski, (Radio) Sgt James Standridge,
(Observer) Pfc Ernest Ludwig
(Photo
of Crew)
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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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