Ole Cappy is seen parked at 7-Mile, Port Moresby, in late 1942
just before boarding supplies to fly a cargo run down to Cairns for
fresh supplies and administrative purposes. The collapsible hammocks
are for the crew, whilst to the left is a US 55-gallon fuel drum.
By March 1944 only four of the Group's original Mitchells were still
flying combat with the 38th Bombardment Group. They were #41-12895 Grasscutter,
107 Combat Missions-335 Combat Hours #41-12905 Tokyo
Sleeper, 131 Combat Missions,
447 Combat Hours #41-12908 Mavourneen, 95 Combat Missions, 363
Combat Hours, and Ole Cappy, 116 Combat Missions, 408 Combat
Hours
On 14th December 1942 Ole Cappy and friends "really had a field
day", according to the squadron records, which went on to say, "The
Japs tried to land a support party for Buna up the coast at Mambare.
In all a total of seven Group missions were flown that day, and completely
wiped out that landing party. The planes would land, the crews would
rush off for a hearty meal of hard tack and water, while the ground
crews were frantically refueling and reloading bombs and ammunition.
Twenty-pound frag bombs were being carried, for the landing was being
accomplished in barges, with supplies being floated ashore in cargo
nets suspended from empty fuel drums. It was found that frags and strafing
put the binger on the drums and nets, not to mention the barges. In
the rush to reload one of the clusters of six became un-banded, and
the pilot of Ole Cappy, anxious not to miss the fun, had them tossed
in loose in the back end. Upon reaching the target these loose bombs
were dropped through the camera hatch, and one of them overturned a
barge. In those days a crew of seven was carried and everybody but the
pilot had a chance to toss out a bomb by hand. Upon return the pilot
entered a complaint, requesting that hereafter frags should be bound
in clusters of seven so that he could join in the party too".
OUR
HERITAGE
SERVICES
PRODUCTS
HISTORICAL HOME
CONTACT
US LINKS