Operation: Night flying exercise

Date: 25th October 1944 (Wednesday)

Unit: No. 23 (NZ) Squadron (1)

Type: Vought Corsair F4U-1

Serial: NZ5382 (2)

Code: 82

Base: Palikulo Bay Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides

Location: Outside Pallikulo Bay, Coral Sea

Pilot: P/O. Selwyn John Down NZ/2192 RNZAF Age 22. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Obsered flying at 1,000 ft at 22:45 hrs. the engine coughed twice and blue flames from the nose enveloped the complete aircraft, the Corsair dived vertically into the Coral Sea just outside Pallikulo Bay.

The aircraft exploded on impact, neither the body of the pilot or the wreckage were recovered.

Burial details:

P/O. Selwyn John Down. Bourail Memorial. Panel 5. Born on the 22nd July 1922 at Dunedin. Employed by the A.M.P.Society as an Assurance Clerk. Before entering the Air Force he served for three years in the Artillery, holding the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the 19th Field Regiment. He transferred from the Army to the Air Force inJuly 1943 and after completing his Initial Ground Training, he commenced flying at No.3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood in November 1943 and went to No .2 Service FlyingTraining School, Woodbourne in January 1944 for further training on Harvards as a fighter pilot.

On the 14th May, 1944, he was awarded his 'Wings' and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer and posted to No. 2 Operational Training Unit, Ohakea for further training on the Kittyhawk. In August he joined 23 Squadron, Ardmore and flew Corsair. He had accumulated 394 flying hours with 82 on the Corsair.

Son of William Havilah Down (born on the 15th February 1882 in Larkhall, Scotland, died 12th June 1957, age 75) and Gladys Margaret Down (née Hamilton, born on the 05th February 1896 in Canterbury, married 1917 died on the 31st March 1977, age 85) of 10 Dyers Pass Road, Cashmere, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Above L-R: Rear; Second Lieutenant Humphrey Clarence Acton-Adams, Second Lieutenant Douglas Edward Ames, Second Lieutenant Brian Kenneth Barstow, Second Lieutenant Alan Murry Beale, Second Lieutenant Geoffrey Malcolm John Brown, Second Lieutenant CT Cheeseman.
Centre; Second Lieutenant Brian Alston Cowper, Second Lieutenant Selwyn John Down, Lieutenant GL Duncan, Lieutenant RD Fallaize, Lieutenant William James Gordon Foote, Second Lieutenant rdon Finley Henderson.
Front; Second Lieutenant Brian Nicolls Hunter Laird, Second Lieutenant SGW Long, Lieutenant JA McInnes, Second Lieutenant JBC Nicholls, Lieutenant MG Rees. (Courtesy Air Museum of New Zealand)

(1) The squadron was established at RNZAF Ardmore in August 1944. It moved to Palikulo Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo to continue training in September. In late October 1944 it moved to Kukum Field on Guadalcanal, where it flew ground attack missions on Bougainville targeting Japanese positions until 14 November. In late November 1944, it moved to Momote Field on Los Negros Island where it flew combat air patrols in defence of the island. In February 1945, the squadron moved to Guadalcanal and then to Emirau from March - May and then to Piva Airfield on Bougainville from June - October 1945 (Wikipedia)

(2) Constructors NZ5382 - US Navy No: Bu 50293. MSN 5537. Shipped on USS Elk Basin to Espiritu Santo. B O C Unit 60 20 June 1944. At Espiritu Santo July 1944. Assigned to 23 squadron in October 1944.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland.

Other sources as quoted below:

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