41-2156 "Limping Lizzie"
Type:L222-62-13
Lightning F-4-1-LO
Msn: 5374
History:
| 17JAN42 | Received by USAAF. |
| 18APR42 | Received Long Beach Fighter Command. |
| 20APR42 | Received Lowry (8PRS). |
| 25MAY42 | Received Dallas. |
| 10JUN42 | Received Lowry. |
| 23JUN42 | Received Sacramento Air Depot. |
| 06JUL42 | Received San Francisco (Port of Embarkation). |
| 15JUL42 | SUMAC (Fifth Air Force SWPA) to |
| 15AUG42 | SUMAC (Fifth Air Force SWPA) |
| 19AUG42 | Received at Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation, Fishermens Bend, Melbourne for erection. |
| 03SEP42 | Delivered ex CAC. |
| 04SEP42 | Delivered to 8PRS at Townsville. Soon after the 8PRS moved to Port Moresby. At some stage 41-2156 acquired the name "Limping Lizzie". In addition to the 8PRS squadron code "56", the aircraft also carried the number "44" on the nose. The significance of this number is unknown. |
| 02MAR43 | "Limping Lizzie" flown by Vince Murphy under a 200 foot ceiling with one mile visibility and low on fuel force landed (gear down) on Hisiu Beach. After a difficult but successful landing, Murphy taxied the aircraft above the high water mark and radioed for assistance. (Source: "The Eight Ballers" by Stanaway and Rocker) |
| 04MAR43 | Captain Frank S. Savage (C.O. of the 8PRS) flew the aircraft off the beach, striking a log and causing the aircraft to leap into the air. The entry in the 8PRS diary renamed the aircraft "Leaping Lizzie". (Source: "The Eight Ballers" by Stanaway and Rocker) |
|
The following entries are sourced from the Log Book of Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton, RAAF and all refer to 41-2156. | |
| 10AUG43 | Flown (1 hr local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. |
| 11AUG43 | Flown (1 hr local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. |
| 13AUG43 | Flown (1 hr 10 min single-engine local) from 14 Mile Airstrip, Port Moresby. |
| 16AUG43 | Flown from Port Moresby to Turnbull, Milne Bay. Lightnings 41-2156 and 41-2220 were both loaned to No 75 Squadron RAAF by 8PRS USAAF to provide the squadron with an urgently needed photographic reconnaissance capability. |
| 29AUG43 | Test flight (15 min). |
| 30AUG43 | Mission (3 hr 45 min) Turnbull-Gasmata-Moresby. "Good day but camera not working". |
| 30AUG43 | Moresby-Milne Bay (1 hr 20 min). |
| 31AUG43 | Moresby-Gasmata (2 hr 40 min). |
| 02SEP43 | Photo mission Gasmata (2 hr 10 min) "Weather crook". |
| 03SEP43 | Photo mission Gasmata (3 hr) "Photos from 24000". |
| 13SEP43 | Photo recce Garove Island (50 min). |
| 14SEP43 | Photo recce Garove Island (2 hr 70 min). |
| 16SEP43 | Photo recce Gasmata (40 min) "No turbo". |
| 28SEP43 | Milne-Goodenough (1 hr). |
| 13OCT43 | Photo recce Talasea coast (2 hr 35 min). |
| 15OCT43 | Photo recce Talasea coast (2 hr 40 min) "Photos taken". |
| 17OCT43 | Photo recce south coast New Britain (3 hr) "Photos taken" |
| 18OCT43 | Photo recce Shortland Island, Oro Bay (2 hr 10 min) "Weather no good". |
| 19OCT43 | Photo recce Shortland Island, Oro Bay (2 hr 50 min) "Photos taken". |
| 23OCT43 | Ginger-Kiriwina (30 min). |
| 23OCT43 | Kiriwina-Ginger (30 min). |
| 24OCT43 | Photo recce Buka (2 hr 30 min). "Nil photos - weather no good". |
| 25OCT43 | Photo recce Buka - 2 strips (4 hr 55 min). "Photos taken. 4 Zeros failed to intercept". |
|
The preceeding entries are sourced from the Log Book of Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton, RAAF and all refer to 41-2156. | |
| 21DEC43 | 75 Squadron F-4 operations terminated and the two aircraft were returned to 8PRS. |
| 08FEB44 | Three F-4 Lightnings, 41-2130, 41-2139 and 41-2217 were allotted to RAAF by Fifth Air Force HQ. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559) |
| 31MAR44 | Advice from Forward Echelon that three Lightnings are being prepared for flight at Port Moresby. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559) |
| 21APR44 | Advice from Forward Echelon that three Lightnings will be ferried to 3AD Amberley on or about 30APR44. (Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559) |
| 15MAY44 | Lightnings 41-2156 and 41-2217 arrived at Amberley but were rejected by the RAAF owing to their poor condition. The third Lightning force landed at Rockhampton but its identity is unknown. Evidently 41-2156 was substituted for either 41-2130 or 41-2139.(Source: NAA Series A11093 Item 3081559) |
| 26SEP44 | Condemned as salvage by Fifth Air Force, Brisbane. |
| 05DEC44 | Struck off by USAAF. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22FEB04 |
Original
issue. Drawn from USAAF Aircraft History Card supplied by Terry Geary and NAA
Series A11093 Item 3081559 and the log book of Squadron Leader Geoff Atherton.
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