My crew repaired a wrecked Black Widow P-61 at Panama Air Depot, France Field, in 1943. I rode in it during its test flight cross country in 8 minutes. Anyone know more about this?
Was assigned to the 161st Liaison Sqdn @ France AFB, in Panama in the years 1948-49 for a tour of 19 months. We had L-5's..my MOS's were 747=A /C Mech & 685 A /C Electrician. Since ALL pormotions were FROZEN, I remained a pfc for the entire time. I was able to work on the C-47's & P-61's assigned and flew many hours in both planes. The Black Widow was a great plane to work on and to fly in. I flew many missions over Bogota, Columbia (Drug smuggling & riots) as a gunner. Beautiful country with spectacular sceneary. Anyone there during that period please let me know and share your experiences. I loved Panama. Coco Solo, Rio Hata, colon and panama city. It was fun touring the Canal Locks also. God Bless & Good Health.
My father worked on the experimental flight crew at Northrop and worked on the inside and outside of the first 10 P-61's. His job was to fabricate parts that didn't exist from blueprints. He actually hitched a ride on one of those first planes.
Born and spent first 11 years of my life and WWII in Hawthorne. My grandmother, Peggy Jacot was a "Rosie the Riveter" at Northrup building the P-61. It was a secret at that time along with the flying wings. I understand that a group located in San Diego is attempting to build a Blackwidow (the name given to the P-61) from parts or a salvaged airframe. Haven't heard anything about this endeavor for a few years now. Anything happening with the project?
My brother ( Mack Ballard) flew the P61A & P61B with the 421st NFS. Does anyone know him? At the end of the war he was sent to Japan and I believe he was assigned to the 68FS.
was attached to 425TH night fighter squadron in eto.best site for information is ;skylighters. this is the history of the 225TH aaa searchlight battalion while attached to the 422 and 425 night fighter squadrons.
I should have noted that Lt. Henry Lee Gurley was with the 418th Night Fighter Squadron. The entire crew was: Lt. Henry L. Gurley (Pilot), Lt. Chester A. Porretta (Radar Operator) and Cpl. Arthur G. Beaudean (Gunner).
On the night of August 4, 1945, my uncle (Lt. Henry Lee Gurley, Pilot) took off from Kadena Field Okinawa in a P-61B-15 (42-39591)on a mission to 36 Kyushr Japan (city of Kanoya?). Neither he, nor his crew, were ever heard from again. Does anyone out there know of him?
Father & Mother both worked at Northrop Aircraft in Hawthorne,Ca.during WWII. Pix of Dad, John Northrop & Hollywood actress promoting war Bonds is in the book of P-61 Black Widow aircraft.
My uncle flew P-61's out of India late in WWII. He said it was a great beer cooler. The crew chief would sling two or three cases of 3.2 beer under the fuselage in a tight cargo net. A quick trip to 30,000 ft and back and there was ice cold beer for everyone - a real treat in the Indian Jungle.
My father-in-law flew the P-61 "Midnight Madonna" while stationed on Iwo Jima with the 549th Night Fighter Squadron. They escorted many damaged B-29s to safety on Iwo and flew night patrols between Iwo and Japan.
There seems to a lot of interest in this aircraft; there are only three (3) remaining airframes: The one at Mid-Atlantic Museum P-61B (42-39445) registered as N550NF; One at Silver Hill, MD,(NASM) P-61C 43-8330; P-61C 43-8353 on display at USAF Museum Dayton,OH; P-61C s /n unknown at the Beijing Aero Inst Beijing China.
In 1945 when the picture of Anna Kreisling,THE WHITE WOLF OF THE LUFTWAFFE,appeared in STARS AND STRIPES, pouring coffee for Gen. Patton. The OSS came and flew her out of Germany in the nick of time in a P-61 Black Widow!! Stalin had dispatched a dozen KGB agents to kidnap her and bring to Moscow! When Stalin heard that she was gone, he was so enraged that he ordered the KGB to kill Patton and make it look like an accident! Oprah has said that the Stainless Steel bra designed for Anna Kreisling by Albert Speer was purchased by Howard Hughes for $200,000 dollars and was later used by Jane Russel in Hollywood, and it fit her perfectly! Now we have a good idea how gorgeous Anna's breasts were!!! MEIN GOTT!! is what every German soldier said when they saw Anna Kreisling!!
The Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading Pennsylvania is restoring one to flight worthy status, their address is www.maam.org, perhaps they can help with the information you need.
By the way, I built a 1:24 scale P-61D back in about 1975 (wish I could remember the manufacturer), which my parents currently have on display at their home. I was in my hayday of model building at that time and I went right down to double hair brushes and installing wiring and tubing for complete realism. Unfortunately, they don't use A /C down in FL, and the heat and humidity have caused degradation. I'd restore it, but it's just a model, and I doubt my skills are still up to the task.
