Warbird Information Exchange

Continue to rest in peace ...

On 1 June 1945, Lieutenant Commander H. F. Mears and crew were shot down over Singapore by enemy fighters. Mears was leading a two-plane section to obtain vitally important reconnaissance photos of the shipping in Singapore Harbor. For his sacrifice Lieutenant Commander Mears was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. Below A PB4Y-2 Privateer flown by Lieutenant Commander "Pappy" Mears from VPB-106 over Singapore during a reconnaissance mission on 1 June 1945. The airfield under the tail of the plane is Tebrau in southern Malaya. In the background the Strait of Johor and the island of Singapore can be seen. The photos were taken by the crew of a PB4Y-1 flown by Lieutenant (jg) Heyler from VPB-111.

A detailed account of this tragic incident in the link below.
http://modelingmadness.com/others/featu ... report.htm






























Below the two PB4Y's were attacked by a group of Ki-43 Oscars. A few seen in the photos below.















Below shows a hit on the No. 3 engine of Mears's plane that caught fire.










The burning Privateer steadily lost altitude and both planes headed to the south-west towards the open sea. Heyler's PB4Y stayed near the damaged plane to protect it from further attacks.












Below are what look to be hand drawn arrows pointing to small fishing boats scattered about. You can also see a diving Oscar lower middle still attacking Mears plane.










Below Mears PB4Y about to crash into the water and what looks to be a ship very close .










Sadly Mears plane hits the water and disappears.

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Zero Surprise!!...

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Zero Surprise!!...

Mark,

Another wonderful set of pictures from you. They serve as a wonderful tribute to Lt Cmdr Mears and crew - forgotten by all but family - until you bring their sacrifice back with these pictures May they all rest in peace.

C2j

RIP

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

Mark, thank you for the post. The pictures and the text combined....it was like I was watching a movie or flipping through a book as I scrolled down to each new shot. It told the story. Another reminder of the war and how horrible it really was.

Were these from your own collection? Really great to see them all preserved like that, telling the story.

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506th Fighter Group Historian
Member of Glidepath Photography

Amazing!

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Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
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Amazing and sobering series of photos. RIP heroes.

Part of my collection- I purchased a rear turret hydraulic panel. I don't know if it is for a PB4Y-1 or -2, but it is definitely USN. The hydraulics sold, but I still have the fuselage skin. I wonder which one it came from?

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REMEMBER THE SERGEANT PILOTS!

Judging from the PB4Y-2 parts manual, you have the older B-24/PB4Y-1, but is also used on the 59350-59459 PB4Y-2's.
https://imgur.com/a/9TIi5Rs

My first thought was comparing the skin thickness, but it is the same around the panel area, if I have location correct.

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Volunteer
Yankee Air Museum