WRECKED AIRPLANE INVENTORY
Repair crew-Paul Rogers (standing), Harold Coleman, Willie Hooks, and Harvey Olander
take a break from the African heat.
The P-40 is one of three rebuilt using parts from other wrecked airplanes.
WRECKS WITNESSED OR DOWNED PLANE NOTICES RECEIVED
WHILE AT ACCRA, GOLD COAST (now GHANA)
1. 1 B-26 Engine failure at take-off.
2. 1 B-26 Engine failure at take-off, burned.
3. 1 C-54 Exploded in air, 36 killed.
4. 1 C-87 Crashed into jungle, 10 killed.
5. 1 B-26 Nose wheel collapsed on landing.
6. 1 C-46 Exploded in air, 1 killed.
7. 1 C-46 Landed with wheels up.
8. 1 English Wellington bomber blew out tire on take off.
9. English Defiance fighter, wheels could not be lowered.
10. 1 C-47 Wheels collapsed on landing.
WRECKS WHILE AT LAGOS, NIGERIA
11. 1 P-40 nosed over while landing.
12. 1 P-40 wheels not locked, gave way on landing.
13. 1-English Beau fighter taxied into ditch.
WRECKS AT MAIDUGURI, NIGERIA
14. 1 B-24 Hit runway too hard and knocked off landing gear.
15. 1 B-25 Nose wheel collapsed upon landing.
16. 1 A-20 ran off runway and nose wheel folded.
17. 1 P-40 Oil line broke, crashed in bush.
18. 1 English Spitfire engine quit, crashed & burned on runway.
19. 1 English Spitfire lost control on landing, ground looped.
20. 1 English Spitfire bounced off runway and stood on nose.
21. 1 English Hurricane ran into maintenance roller on take off.
22. 1 P-38 nose wheel collapsed during taxiing.
23. 1 P-40 Ran out of gas, crashed in bush.
WRECKS I WAS TOLD ABOUT
`I will mention the last one first because it involved my best friends. '
#24 A C-54 Crashed into a mountain on Ascension Island. They were going home on rotation after two years of
service. Those
killed included my hut mates William McBride, T.J. Savage, James Bradley. Jimmy Coleman and Jerry Kozlik worked
with me
repairing airplanes.
I was also due for rotation but was on assignment at Cairo, Egypt when the accident happened.
I could not get a full list of the passengers. The airplane was filled to capacity, everyone was killed.
I would guess at least fifty men died.
I always believed the Lord kept me alive because of my mother's faith in Him.
25. 1 C-47 On route to Karachi, India, lost in ocean.
26. 1 C-46 Engine failure.
27. 1 C-47 Lost and ran out of gas.
28. 1 C-47 (Our own Pelican) landed in a river, trying to rescue plane above.
While our crew was throwing out supplies to workers at the wrecked airplane, a box caught on the
elevator, the thing that controls the up and down of the airplane. The plane became so unstable that a
forced landing had to be made in the bush. The plane could not be stopped in time and rolled into the
river. A wing had a bad tear underneath, and both wingtips were damaged. The rest of plane was OK.
About fifty natives from a village pulled the plane out of the water. Trees were chopped down to clear a
runway. (See Desert Derelicts Fly Again)
29. 1 Civilian amphibian 5 passenger plane landed in water with wheels down.
30. 1 Civilian amphibian plane(same as above) after having repairs landed on the runway with the wheels up.
This is the second life of this airplane.
I hope it had as many as a cat.
In order to extend its flying range an external fuel tank was attached to the under side.
Bon voyage into the wild blue yonder!
RECORD OF AIRPLANES REPAIRED
AT LAGOS
6-P-40 wrecked planes repaired
1-P-40 rebuilt from scrap
AT KANO
2 P-40 wrecked planes repaired
AT MAIDUGURI
3 P-40 wrecked planes rebuilt
1 B-25 repaired
1 P-38 repaired
1 B-24 disassembled for parts
1 A-20 salvaged (very few useable parts)
BETWEEN KANO AND MAIDUGURI
1 C-47 salvaged
1 P-40 salvaged
BETWEEN ACCRA AND KANO
1 C-46 Salvaged
AT LAKE CHAD
1 C-47 (our own)modified and flown out
1 C-47 Repaired and flown out
(please use Arrows to view the additional story)
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