Combat History

Operational & Combat History

Delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force on May 5, 1943, P-40N-1 A29-448 entered combat with 75 Squadron just weeks later. Operating out of Milne Bay, Goodenough Island, Nadzab, and Cape Gloucester, the aircraft flew dozens of missions across Papua New Guinea during the thick of the Pacific campaign.

Flown primarily by Flight Sergeant Stan Hunt, A29-448 conducted:

• Interception flight
• Air cover for Allied bombers
• Strafing runs on enemy positions
• Patrol duties over the Vitiaz Strait
• Search missions for downed aircrews, including a Liberator crew believed lost near Rabaul

Combat Report

A29-448 in Active Service | 1943–1944

Unit: 75 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
Theater: Milne Bay, Goodenough Island, Cape Gloucester, New Guinea
Aircraft Code: GA-C
Tail Number: A29-448
Serial: 42-104730

Assigned to Combat: AUG 25, 1943

Delivered under the Lend-Lease program, A29-448 entered combat service in New Guinea with 75 Squadron RAAF on August 25, 1943. It was painted with white tail surfaces—standard for Allied in-line fighters in the Southwest Pacific—and designated GA-C under the command of Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton.

Mission Types

A29-448 flew as a fighter-bomber in high-tempo missions including:

• Interceptions of Japanese aircraft
• Escort for Allied bombers
• Strafing and dive-bombing runs
• Radar calibration and target patrols
• Search flights for downed aircrews

Known Combat Flights

From September through December 1943, A29-448 was flown regularly by Flight Sergeant-promoted-to-Pilot Officer Stan Hunt. The squadron record book documents missions from Turnbull and Gurney Fields at Milne Bay:

• SEP 27, 1943: 12-aircraft interception flight
• OCT 12, 1943: 8-aircraft cover flight
• OCT 20, 1943: 12-aircraft interception flight
• OCT 22, 1943: 14-aircraft dive-bombing sortie over Gasmata
• NOV 18, 1943: Gunnery target flight
• DEC 19, 1943: Radar calibration mission
• JAN 5, 1944: Air gunnery test
  

Combat Pilots

A29-448 was flown by several RAAF pilots during its service, including:

• Flight Lieutenant Doug Moseley
• Flight Lieutenant "Monty" Mountseer
• Flight Lieutenant “Judge” Rutherford
• Flying Officer Ben Weston
• Pilot Officer Stan Hunt
• Flight Sergeant Charles Bowly
• Flight Sergeant Phil Crothers
• Flight Sergeant Frank Heywood
  

Operational Incidents

• MAR 13, 1944: Swung off runway at Nadzab after a mission over Vitiaz Strait. Repaired at 11 RSU.
• MAY 4, 1944: Suffered hydraulic and electrical failure at Tadji while carrying a full war load. Pilot F/O Geoffrey O’Halloran Giles performed a successful wheels-up landing. The aircraft was retired and used for spares.
  

A Legacy That Still Soars
‍

Though A29-448 was written off in late 1944, its combat record remains a powerful chapter in ANZAC aviation history. Today, restored to airworthy condition and wearing its original 75 Squadron markings, this Kittyhawk honors every mission, every crew, and every moment it flew in defense of the Pacific.

‍Theatre: Papua New Guinea | Squadrons: RAAF 75 & 78 | Pilots: Stan Hunt, Doug Moseley, Ben Weston, and others