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| USAAF 5th AF 58th FG 69th FS  Australian Army September 21, 1944 |
Pilot 1st Lt Joseph V. Adamow, O-801661 (survived) Philadelphia, PA Crashed August 25, 1944 at 11:40am MACR 14349 Aircraft History Built by Republic in Farmingdale, NY. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-47D-16-RE Thunderbolt serial number 42-75883. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 58th Fighter Group (58th FG), 69th Fighter Squadron (69th FS). No known nose art or nickname. When lost engine R-2800-63 serial number P-12683. Armed with eight .50 caliber machine guns serial number 657668 maker Hayes Wheel Co., 658798 maker Hayes Wheel Co., 659489 maker Hayes Wheel Co., 917923 maker Savage Arms, 658791 maker Hayes Wheel Co., 1084546 maker High Standard, 970466 maker Frigidare Co. and 917668 maker maker Savage Arms. Wartime History On August 25, 1944 took off from Saidor Airfield piloted by 1st Lt Joseph V. Adamow on a weather reconnaissance mission over Wewak. Returning, he became lost in bad weather and uncontrollable and was last seen by 2nd Lt. Russell B. Anderson to have bailed out and his parachute open. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Fate of the Pilot After bailing out, Adamow bailed out and landed unhurt in a large tree. After freeing himself, he wandered in the jungle, foraged for food and survived off his emergency supplies alone for a week. On the eighth day, native people spotted him and shadowed him then approached him and provided food and help him carry his pack. On the tenth day after the crash, he observed a friendly plane and signaled it with smoke, but it failed to see him. On the eighteenth day, September 18, 1944 he reached Allied forces and was rescued. Rescue On September 20, 1944, twenty days after bailing out, he reached the north coast of New Guinea. On September 21, 1944 he was photographed putting on a new pair of boots at Mililat then transported aboard a barge to Madang then back to his squadron at Saidor Airfield. On November 22, 1944 he returned to the United States. Relatives Ed Wandall (nephew in law of Adamow) "Joe Adamow is my wife's uncle. I have a photo of Joe taken the day after he walked out of the jungle." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Joseph V. Adamow USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-47D-16-RE Thunderbolt 42-75883 "75883 (69th FS, 58th FG) crashed due to bad weather Aug 25, 1945. MACR 14349. Pilot bailed out and returned to his unit." Missing Air Crew Report 14349 (MACR 14349) created August 27, 1944 The Canberra Times "Pilot Rescued After Month's Wanderings" September 26, 1944 Accident Report on frame 351 80155, frames 386-391 PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-47D Thunderbolt 42-75883 As of 2001, US Army CILHI had this aircraft's serial number and pilot incorrectly listed as MIA Air Force Historical Research Agency IRISNUM: 00057129 includes data on the rescue of Adamow Thanks to Ed Wandall and Edward Rogers for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 3, 2026 |
 P-47  Map August 25, 1944 |
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