HISTORY

PAPPY OF THE “STRAFERS” II

Photo: worldwarphotos

MACHINE GUNS FOR MITCHELLS

Sign of the 3rd Attack Group at the entrance to the Charters Towers airbase.

In the first part we left Pappy Gunn at the moment he said goodbye to his family in Manila, Philippines and together with “Buzz”

Slingsby at the controls of the second Beechcraft departed for

Australia where they flew the USAAF personnel. Despite the belief

in the rapid reinforcement of the archipelago’s defense and consequently the reunion with his family in the course of two-three

weeks the Japanese captured Manila nine days after Pappy’s departure and his wife with children became POWs. At that time Gunn

became the member of the military personnel again but this time

as an Army pilot, not a Navy one as between the wars.

Gunn’s motivation to fight was enormous. He wanted to join his family, since

January 2, 1942, held captive in the Japanese POW camp and with his abilities

and non-orthodox approach to solving

all kinds of problems he significantly

contributed to the victory. Shortly upon

their arrival in Brisbane on December 27,

1941, Gunn and other USAAF personnel

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INFO Eduard

was aware how difficult their upcoming

mission was. The fresh reinforcements

were not coming, and the Japanese continued their successful campaign across

the Pacific. Perhaps the most important aviation reinforcement was twenty

P-40s delivered in crates by a cargo ship

while another batch was sailing from the

USA towards Australia. Not seeking any

Text: Richard Plos

approval Pappy organized the technical

group composed of both the Americans

and Australians who started to uncrate

and assemble P-40s. Part of this group

were 25 pilots from 17th FG who escaped

from Philippines just in time. It turned

out that the supplies were not complete. Certain parts were missing but Pappy was able to secure their replacements manufacturing them in the local

workshops and in the middle of January

all P-40s were assembled, test-flown

and armed. General Brereton did not hesitate to issue the proper order and so

on January 16 two groups of seventeen

P-40s in total took off from Brisbane

airport for a long route across the half

of Australian continent to Darwin at the

northern coast.

Pappy of course could not be missing the

action; however, but he flew his confiscated Beechcraft. There was a good reason for it. Like all other pilots he belie-

November 2022