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Re: 49th FG - P-40 flown by Donald Lee
Although the excellent book "Protect and Avenge: The 49th Fighter group In World War II" doesn't contain any pictures of 'Pistoff', there is a picture of Lee's first P-40 'Bitzahawk'.
7th Squadron on 4 March 1942 were detailed to move from Bankstown Airport (just west of Sydney) to Horn Island located just off the coast of Cape York at the northernmost point of Queensland. The trip involved flying almost 3,000km. On the way north Lee (with two others) had to abort and landed at the RAAF base of Charters Towers (100 k short of Townsville) for repairs. While the other two pilots quickly returned south, Lee had no choice but to remain for several weeks whilst his P-40 received a major overhaul. It was here he named it 'Bitzahawk'. Following the repairs Lee flew onto Darwin in late March.
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