Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Port Pirie USAAC Crash site 1

PORT PIRIE 5540

 

MEMORIAL: USAAF WW2 Crash Site                                                  

 

LOCATION: Port Pirie

 

NB: It is important to note that although this is not an RAAF accident, it did involve a young airman of the United States Forces who, in defence of our country in our time of desperate need, tragically ended his life in South Australia and rightly deserves to be honoured on this web site.

 

DESCRIPTION: On Thursday 19^th February 1942, a P40E Warhawk of 33 Pursuit Sqn, United States Army Air Force, dived into the ground approximately 4OO metres west of the Port Pirie Cemetery. 2Lt Pingree was at Port Pirie RAAF base as a consequence of a recurring armament failure in his aircraft. His squadron, under the command of Major Floyd Pell were in transit from Queensland to Perth for transport by ship to the Dutch East Indies. This order was changed and the rest of the squadron was diverted to Darwin on the 17^th February and were involved in the defence of the first attacks on Darwin by the Japanese on the 19^th February 1942. 

 

Crew: WARHAWK:

 

0-421661

 

PINGREE Richard Earl

 

2Lt Pilot

 

From Wasatch County, Utah

 

REPORTS:

 

Official: Summary:

 

Following test trials on his aircraft, 2Lt Pingree was flying over Port Pirie when his aircraft went out of control and dived into the ground, killing him instantly. Cause unknown.

 

Eyewitness, Ken Madigan:

 

I was a schoolboy at the time, we were so into the sounds of aircraft we all knew when one was in trouble. On this day we were watching the planes when I saw the aircraft steeply diving, it went straight in. I ran to the site which was a crater, the engine was in about 6 or 7 metres deep. They removed his body and shipped it back to America in a lead lined coffin which they often used to ship back bodies from the Dutch East Indies area.

 

His body was transported to Hawaii and buried in the Honolulu Memorial (Overseas American Cemeteries). No records were found that he was interred for any length of time in the Port Pirie Cemetery and the Port Pirie Council has no historical records of his being registered for burial or cremation in Port Pirie.

 

BURIALS/CREMATIONS

 

 

 

CEMETERY

 

PLOT

 

GRAVE

 

RICHARD E. PINGREE

 

Honolulu Memorial, Hawaii

 

B

 

55

 

Honolulu Memorial:

 

Headstone:

 

RICHARD EARL PINGREE

 

UTAH

 

2D LIEUTENANT 33 AAF PUR SQ

 

WORLD WAR II

 

JUNE 9 1920 FEB 19 1942

 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/DATE:

 

Research began 2002,

 

Ken Madigan 2007, Port Pirie Remembers by Ken Madigan and Dick Wordley 1982

 

Warhawk photo of aircraft by type; courtesy Peter R. March collection

 

Honolulu Memorial Hawaii

 

Map courtesy Golden Fleece (H.C. Sleigh Ltd.) 1965 version

 

District map courtesy Where Is

 

Port Pirie Council