flyingtigers

I suspect these guys might be working on the motors from a Lockheed P-38 Lightning...the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk/Warhawk had a very different air intake, etc...I'm guessing, but I suspect they're USAAF rather than RAAF...possibly the 49th Fighter Group...someone who knows about their operational history might be able to confirm this or add info re a possible location...they were briefly at Darwin in 1942...

Pic 25 of this series shows a row of P-38's lined up...if you zoom in you can see the match-ups...

collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/YezElR29/gpLqLxERm44ye

www.flickr.com/photos/193158484@N02/51754273338 - couple of P-40's here...as you can see, they're a different animal...

🔥 😮 ~~

covid convict I'll update with a ? on the P-38s for the moment. Thanks for helping out.

Nice detail of a P-38 that looks like a good match - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning#/media/File...
And see main article - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_P-38_Lightning

I tend to agree with 'covid convict', the US 49th Fighter Group were equiped with the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk while stationed in Australia before moving to New Guinea in Oct 1942. In September 1944, the group was re-equipped completely with Lockheed P-38 Lightning aircraft, providing a possible date for the photo, and following the same train of thought, the location is likely to be Port Moresby. Although only a month later they were located to the Philippines - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49th_Fighter_Group

The other observation that may support covid convict's USAF ID is the head gear, Aussie aircraftsmen would probably be wearing the standard issue slouch hat not a baseball cap.

All looks plausible - I will update the entry and thanks for the links.

R.T. Smith next to the Disney “Flying Tiger” decal on the side of P-40 Tomahawk #40 in Kunming, China on May 23, 1942. © R.T. Smith

I met him, more than once. He gave me some of his personal photos.

Living heroes saving chinese lives without regard for their own