Commando 41-12420

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando

USAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 41-12420

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 26547

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU187

FATE: Written off

  July 1943 to August 1943

  41-12420 - USAAF (USA)

3 July 1943

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

31 July 1943

Assigned to ATC India-China Wing, 1^st Transport Group, 3^rd Transport Squadron based in Chabua, Assam, India.

2 August 1943

Destroyed near Lahe Nanyon, Burma after all bailed out following a mechanical failure (1/21 fatalities). [MACR 321]

The Commando was on a day flight from Chabua, Assam, India to Kunming, Yunnan, China, carrying 17 passengers and 7,000 lbs of cargo. About 1 hour 30 minutes into the flight, while the plane was over the Patkai Mountains, the left engine lost oil pressure and was shut down. The aircraft was turned around and headed back to Chabua. Although jettisoning cargo reduced weight and bought some time, the overworked right engine caught fire and emergency bailout became the only option. All landed safely or with minor injuries except the copilot, whose parachute fouled up in the aircraft tail as he jumped.

What followed became the first ever rescue of survivors from enemy territory by use of a self-sufficient parachute-rescue team supported with airdrop resupply techniques (full story here).

Crew:
F/O Harry Neveu (Pilot)
2^nd Lt Charles Felix (Copilot)
Sgt Walter K. Oswalt (Radio Operator)
S/Sgt Ned C. Miller (Engineer)

19 August 1943

Condemned for salvage.

Right: 41-12420’s crash survivors and their rescue team.
Photo credit: USAF