41-2156 Limping Lizzie

 

 

Type: L-222-62-13 Lightning F-4-1-LO
MSN: 5374

History:



17JAN42 Received by USAAF. (Source: 4)
18APR42 Received Long Beach Fighter Command. (Source: 4)
20APR42 Received Lowry (8th PRS). (Source: 4)
25MAY42 Received Dallas. (Source: 4)
10JUN42 Received Lowry. (Source: 4)
23JUN42 Received Sacramento Air Depot. (Source: 4)
06JUL42 Received San Francisco (Port of Embarkation). (Source: 4)
15JUL42 Allotted SUMAC (Fifth Air Force SWPA) (Source: 4)
19AUG42 Received at Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, Fishermens Bend, Melbourne for erection. (Source: 8)
25AUG42 Diverted to Australia. (Source: 4)
03SEP42 Delivered ex CAC. (Source: 8)
04SEP42 Delivered to 8th PRS at Townsville. Soon after the 8th PRS moved to Port Moresby. At some stage 41-2156 acquired the name "Limping Lizzie". In addition to the 8th PRS squadron code "56", the aircraft also carried the number "44" on the nose. The significance of this number is unknown. (Source: 11)
02MAR43 "Limping Lizzie" flown by Vince Murphy under a 200 foot ceiling with one mile visibility and low on fuel force landed (gear down) on Hisiu Beach. After a difficult but successful landing, Murphy taxied the aircraft above the high water mark and radioed for assistance. (Source: "The Eight Ballers" by Stanaway and Rocker). (Source: 11)
04MAR43 Captain Frank S. Savage (C.O. of the 8th PRS) flew the aircraft off the beach, striking a log and causing the aircraft to leap into the air. The entry in the 8th PRS diary renamed the aircraft "Leaping Lizzie". (Source: 11)
10AUG43 Flown (1 hr local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
11AUG43 Flown (1 hr local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
13AUG43 Flown (1 hr 10 min single-engine local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
16AUG43 Flown from Port Moresby to Turnbull, Milne Bay. Lightnings 41-2156 and 41-2220 were both loaned to No 75 Squadron RAAF by 8th PRS USAAF to provide the squadron with an urgently needed photographic reconnaissance capability. Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
29AUG43 Test flight (15 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
30AUG43 Mission (3 hr 45 min) Turnbull-Gasmata-Moresby. "Good day but camera not working". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
30AUG43 Moresby-Milne Bay (1 hr 20 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
31AUG43 Moresby-Gasmata (2 hr 40 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
02SEP43 Photo mission Gasmata (2 hr 10 min) "Weather crook". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
03SEP43 Photo mission Gasmata (3 hr) "Photos from 24000". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
13SEP43 Photo recce Garove Island (50 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
14SEP43 Photo recce Garove Island (2 hr 70 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
16SEP43 Photo recce Gasmata (40 min) "No turbo". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
28SEP43 Milne-Goodenough (1 hr). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
During September 1943, No. 75 Sqn moved from Milne Bay to Goodenough Island (GINGER).
13OCT43 Photo recce Talasea coast (2 hr 35 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
15OCT43 Photo recce Talasea coast (2 hr 40 min) "Photos taken". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
17OCT43 Photo recce south coast New Britain (3 hr) "Photos taken". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
18OCT43 Photo recce Shortland Island, Oro Bay (2 hr 10 min) "Weather no good". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
19OCT43 Photo recce Shortland Island, Oro Bay (2 hr 50 min) "Photos taken". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
20OCT43 Photo recce Talasea, Gasmata & Arawe in "Lightning F-4-56" by WGCDR Wilfrid "Woof" Arthur. (Source: Pilot's Log Book held at the AWM)
23OCT43 Ginger-Kiriwina (30 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
23OCT43 Kiriwina-Ginger (30 min). Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
24OCT43 Photo recce Buka (2 hr 30 min). "Nil photos - weather no good". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
25OCT43 Photo recce Buka - 2 strips (4 hr 55 min). "Photos taken. 4 Zeros failed to intercept". Sqn Ldr G. Atherton. (Source: 12)
25OCT43 Photo recce Buka in "Lightning L-56" by WGCDR Wilfrid "Woof" Arthur. (Source: Pilot's Log Book held at the AWM)
21DEC43 75 Squadron F-4 operations terminated and the two aircraft were returned to 8th PRS.
08FEB44 Three F-4 Lightnings, 41-2130, 41-2139 and 41-2217 were allotted to RAAF by Fifth Air Force HQ. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559)
31MAR44 Advice from Forward Echelon that three Lightnings are being prepared for flight at Port Moresby. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559)
21APR44 Advice from Forward Echelon that three Lightnings will be ferried to 3AD Amberley on or about 30APR44. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559)
15MAY44 Lightnings 41-2156 and 41-2217 arrived at Amberley but were rejected by the RAAF owing to their poor condition. The third Lightning force landed at Rockhampton but its identity is unknown. Evidently 41-2156 was substituted for either 41-2130 or 41-2139.(Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559)
26SEP44 Condemned as salvage by Fifth Air Force, Brisbane. (Source: 4)
05DEC44 Struck off by USAAF. (Source: 4)

 

See also: 44 Reasons to be Confused


SOURCES

1
 Log book of Flt Lt F.H.W. Robilliard via his son Iain Robilliard.
2
 Log Book of Flt Lt W.H.S. Talberg via David Vincent
3
 Log Book of Sqn Ldr R.M. Green via David Vincent
4
 USAAF History Card for 41-2158 accessed by Terry Geary.
5
 RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] 1 PRU Number 87 Squadron Jun 42 - Oct 53. NAA: A9186, 118
6
 Operations Record Book No 51 Operational Base Unit, Groote Eylandt via Phil Vabre.
7
 RAAF Form E/E88 (Status Card)
8
 Listing compiled by a CAC employee, Bill Audsley, and published in Aviation Heritage the journal of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia (AHSA) Vol 22 No 4.
9
 Mosquito Monograph by David Vincent.
10
 Log Book of FLGOFF P.B. Jones, RAAF.
11
 The Eight Ballers by John Stanaway & Bob Rocker. Schiffer Publishing 1999
12
 Log Book of Sqn Ldr Geoff Atherton.

 


Issue Date Remarks
5 18JUN18
Added an image of the aircraft having its cameras serviced. Thanks to Bobby Rocker.
4 01APR16
Refreshed page layout with no change to data.
3 07MAY14
Added 2 flights by WGCDR Arthur in OCT43.
Minor changes to page layout.
2 16JUL10
Added two images thanks to Bob Rocker.
1 22FEB04
Original issue. Drawn from USAAF Aircraft History Card supplied by Terry Geary and NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559 and the log book of Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton.



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