Catalina Flying Boats - Pacific 1945

[Keith Webb]

Hi Danielle

I've spent the past 10 years interviewing RAAF aircrew from WW2 and may be able to help.

Send me a PM

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Danielle,

Keith is a mine of RAAF info, so the best person to make contact with regarding your project if you have not already done so. I assume you have looked up the Unit histories in the RAAF's concise history series? From what you have said, he was possibly one of those that was re-assigned to 84 OBU on Morotai Island from 47 OBU on the disbandment of the latter unit on Labuan Island in Nov 1945. Neither of these Base Units appear to have been specifically assigned to look after PBY5A Catalinas.

You refer to 'codes' in his service history, I assume you mean the usual abbreviations that such files are always full of. If you can provide me with his service number, I'd be able to look up his service dossier and possibly assist you with the meanings. Contact me either via a PM or this thread if you'd like some assistance.

Mike C

[Lang]

Danielle,

As Mike says the "codes" are more than likely to be abbreviations. All airfields had abreviation "codes" similar to today when you book a ticket to any destination in the world.

As well as that, the military is full of official and unofficial "codes" for anything from butter to battleships and, if you let us know of some which are stumping you, the ex-service members and non-serving enthusiasts will probably crack those codes for you.

Lang

[motto]

Unless I'm mistaken, most if not all PBYs operated by the RAAF were of the flying boat variety and had no landing gear.
This meant that they didn't operate from airfields as such but seaplane bases and sheltered waterways.

David

[Mike Cecil]

Hi Dave,

According to Stewart Wilson's 'Catalina, Neptune and Orion in Aust Service', only 29 of the 168 PBY (and Canadian built PB2Bs) delivered to the RAAF were converted from amphibians to flying boats by removal of the undercarriage, etc, and that program not commencing until 1944. The conversion took about 1500 man hours to complete. Once converted, they were re-designated PBY-5A(M).

Mike C

[motto]

Thanks for that Mike, I thought you or Keith would have the information at your finger tips. I was basing my impressions/understanding on conversations with a long time friend who had done a tour of duty with No 11 Squadron as flight engineer.

Although not clarified by direct questioning (he died some years ago) he never mentioned anything but flying boats and the bases they operated from such as Rathmines and Lake Boga. I seem to recall they operated out of Townsville, Darwin and Port Moresby but don't know which were bases or through ports.

What doesn't fit is that Lindsay's service with the Cats must have been before any of the conversions were carried out for he went on to do a tour of duty with No 24 Squadron on Liberators mostly operating out of Fenton.

I'm certain his time with No 11 Squadron predated that with No 24 because he had moved on when his old crew were involved in the loss of a Cat trying to deliver a part to a ship broken down in the Coral Sea. They crashed on take off and all got out except the skipper who was killed. His name was Coventry.

Are you sure Mike that the conversions were not carried out to make those aircraft conform with the rest of the fleet?
Cheers

Dave

[Mike Cecil]

Can't verify what Stewart wrote, but I've always found him and his publications pretty reliable. There is no mention of the Cat fleet as a whole being 'water-bound' - only the conversion of a small number of the later production PBY5A to that configuration.

I have a copy of a couple of images taken in 1944/1945 of RAAF Cats. The first is blazing away (so possibly A24-91, lost June 1945 on Moratai), and another being refueled from a Bowser. Both are on tarmac/Marsden Mat runways and on 'conventional' fold-up undercarriage (not beaching wheels).

Maybe Keith has some more precise info?

Mike C