P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Hello
Am seeking details of a P-61 crash on the 9th July 1945
Serial number was 42-39469.
Anyone have a Squadron number and or crew names ?
ALSO
A P-61 crash on the 10th July 1945.
Serial number 42-39719.
Again squadron and crew names wanted.

I have two possible names but am by no means sure if either are connected to the a/c I have noted above ?
They are -
J.F.Colby ( 557 NFS ) D.R.Fuller and J.B. Adams.

Thanks
Alex

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

aviationarchaeology.com has 42-39719 with James B Adams, Jr from 427th NFS.

https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/...y/Jul1945O.htm

Joe Baugher has:
42-39719 (427th NFS, 10th AF) crashed on takeoff near Dinjan, India
Jul 10, 1945. MACR 15504. Both crew killed. Aircraft condemned salvage Jul 17, 1945

MACR is here: https://www.fold3.com/image/47348327

Other man killed with Adams was Ramsey B Bancroft.

All Baugher has on the other plane: "42-39469 condemned combat Jul 9, 1945"

There is a James F Colby missing on July 9, 1945 from the 550th NFS.

https://www.abmc.gov/node/353366

There is a MACR for Colby here: https://www.fold3.com/image/30087170
MACR states "Was Alone, No Crew". The MACR has no serial number for the plane or even a date of loss.

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Hello Rolland,
Thanks for the reply.
I now have from you Bancroft who is matched with Adams on the 10th, in 42-39719, ( 427 NFS, India ).

Fuller, 416 NFS in 42-39478 in Italy

Which leaves Colby ( 550(?)/557 NFS ) which I believe is the one I seek, who was with him ?

Alex

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Colby was alone in the plane. No Crew. The MACR has him in the "558 FGT SQ" ???


Here are a couple of newspaper stories about him:

https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3150..._boston_globe/


https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3150..._boston_globe/

Some confusion, perhaps in the stories. I think the 550th was doing intruder type mission in Borneo (not Burma??).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/550th_Fighter_Squadron

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Rolland/Alex

42-39469 was sent to the Far East via Hawaii and was delivered to 550NFS on 27 March 1945 (from the US Depot at Leyte)
It was lost 9 July 1945 appx 600 yards after take off flown by Lt James F Colby and R/O F/O Albert Fingerle on a combat mission.
Colby went down with the aircraft after it struck a reef off shore, while Fingerle managed to swim ashore and was taken to a hospital with a slight wound in his head.
Divers tried to locate Colby but were unable to find the forward section of the aircraft.
Aircraft SOC 12 July 1945

42-39719 was sent to India on 7 March 1945 and delivered to 427NFS 15 March 1945.
It was lost 10 July 1945 when flown by Lt James B Adams Jr with R/O Lt Ramsey B Bancroft. Aircraft lost power during take off from Dinjan, India and crashed straight ahead some miles from the runway. According to witnesses the aircraft lacked take off speed, but no positive evidence for any technical fault could be discovered in the wreckage. Both crewmember were killed.
Aircraft SOC 17 July 1945

Source: Northrop's Night Hunter by Jeff Kolln
Unfortunately he does not say from where 42-39469 took off. Main unit was at Tacloban, Leyte, but also had a detachment at Sanga Sanga (Sulu Archipelago).

I have no idea from where the newspapers got the idea that Colby was in Burma. At least they got the unit right which is more than one can say about the MACR, but I suppose 558 is a printing error, since that was a B-26 bomber unit in Europe...

B Rgds
Stig

PS: If the place of take off is known for Colby I would very much like to know.

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Stig,
Thanks for clearing things up re:Colby's loss. The "MACR" and the newspaper article didn't make much sense.

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Rolland

A pleasure to help you out a little, since you have constantly contributed a lot to my own knowledge

Cheers
Stig

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

Could it be the place name was changed in the newspaper for security reasons? Not that it would really mater at that time in the war.

Re: P-61 fatal crash 9/10 July '45
 

On page 3 of this is a little on Albert (Grover) Fingerle originally from NY (born in 1916). After the war he was a real estate broker and he died in CA (Panorama City) in 1992.

http://www.canadasouthern.com/caso/h...light-0844.pdf

He was in the army in the 1930s and was called back into service in 1942. He then became a flight officer in 1944.