CRASH OF A P-40E WARHAWK
ABOUT 1 MILE  EAST OF THE NORTHERN END
OF LIVINGSTONE AIRFIELD, NT
ON 23 JUNE 1942

visits since 16 July 2000

USAAF P-40E Warhawk (Kittyhawk) "Sissy" #48, of the 8th Pursuit Squadron of the 49th Fighter Group, flown by Lieutenant Arthur E. "Doc" Fielder, crashed during a training flight on 23 June 1942 killing the pilot. This aircraft was ex A29-95 of the RAAF.

Fielder was doing some stunt manoeuvres when the Kittyhawk stalled and went into a flat spin. The aircraft fell towards the ground and lost control. Personnel on the ground saw Fielder almost regain control, but he was too low and the aircraft struck some trees about 1 mile east of the north end Livingstone airfield.

Fielder's badly burnt body was recovered from the wreckage and his remains were interred in the Adelaide River American cemetery.

Lieutenant "Doc" Fielder had been involved in an earlier crash when he made a forced landing on Aslings Beach at Eden in New South Wales on 28 March 1942.

REFERENCE

"Protect & Avenge"
"The 49th Fighter Group in World War II"
By S.W. Ferguson & William K. Pascalis
A Schiffer Military History Book

I'd also like to thank Rick Hanning for his assistance with the above information.

Heaps of WW2 books available at Amazon.com

This page first produced 13 March 2000

This page last updated 24 June 2007