Strana 72
A29-521, F/O T. R. Jacklin, No. 75 Squadron (RAAF), Noemfoor Island, August 1944
FX609, S/L Murray P. Nash, No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Italy, 1944
The Australian No. 75 Squadron, also known
as the Magpies, was formed in Townsville,
Queensland, on March 4, 1942, and received
its first Kittyhawks on March 21, serving as the
sole defender of Port Moresby against enemy
air raids for the next 44 days. The intensity of
the fighting during that time is evidenced by
35 enemy aircraft being destroyed and
58 damaged, with the loss of twelve of its own
pilots. Later, No. 75 Squadron moved to Milne
Bay and then to Borneo, where its pilots covered
Australian forces during the Battle of Balikpapan
in the final weeks of the war. On August 9, 1944,
Jacklin was hit in the left wing with this aircraft.
He lost not only the aileron, but the damage
also affected more than 25 percent of the
wing area. With his aircraft so badly damaged,
the pilot had to fly more than 350 km over
the sea before he could land exhausted at his
base. His landing was documented by a quick-
thinking cameraman, and based on this material,
the appearance of the aircraft was reconstructed.
We identified the light spots on the nose as paint
washed off the metal. The aircraft also has
a visibly lighter color on the underside of the
wing. There is a known photograph of the aircraft
with the paint on the nose still untouched and
with white leading edges of the wing. In the
meantime, the wing was probably replaced,
maybe from another aircraft with faded Neutral
Grey paint (possibly due to storage of the wing
in the sun).
Murray Percival Nash was born in northern
Melbourne on October 21, 1919. After the
outbreak of war in Europe, he decided to join
the RAAF and began military training as a pilot
in 1940 at Point Cook. In 1941, he completed an
instructor course and subsequently devoted
himself to training new pilots. In early 1943,
he joined No. 3 Squadron, with which he moved
to North Africa and then to Malta. The aircraft of
No. 3 Squadron RAAF were the first Allied aircraft
to land in Italy. On November 16, 1944, Nash flew
his last combat mission with Warhawk FX609,
in the last mission the squadron flew with this
type of aircraft. He had inherited the aircraft
from the previous squadron commander, Rex H.
Bayly. It was also Nash’s first aircraft with the
code CV P. Subsequently, after rearming with
Mustangs, Nash used the same designation on
this type as well. According to contemporary
records, Nash’s piloting and command skills
were exceptional. For example, on January 8,
1945, he attacked enemy transport vehicles at
such a low altitude that he broke the wing tip on
a tree. Thanks to his experience he took part in
a special course of Squadron commanders for
air combat tactics at Tangmere. After completing
the course, he again took command of No. 3
Squadron and led it in the Italian campaign until
the end of the war. After the war, he returned
to his father’s engineering company and then
devoted himself to farming. He died in 2009.
KITS 12/2025
INFO Eduard72
December 2025