8TH PHOTOGRAPHIC RECONNAISSANCE SQUADRON
INITIALLY ATTACHED TO THE 19TH BOMB GROUP
THEN THE 6TH PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP, RECONNAISSANCE
The other squadrons of the 6th Photographic Group, Reconnaissance were:-
- 25th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
- 26th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron
- 20th Combat Mapping
Squadron
The meaning of the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron's emblem
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Above photo from Lawrence Packard |
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A. L. Fishman told me that the original emblem designed by Sgt. Anthony L. (Tony) Cartwright of 8PRS, due to security restrictions, did not include the numeral 8 in the ball. Fishman indicated that the correct description of the Emblem as intended by Tony Cartwright is as follows:-
"The clouds in the background represent the Air Corps. (now Air Force). The lightning bolt superimposed on the cloud represents the type of airplane our squadron flew, the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The Young Indian Brave is representative all of the men in the squadron. The hatchet that the Brave holds describes our mission, war. The Indian Brave standing on an island with Palm trees denotes the area in which we served."
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The Eight Ballers:
Eyes of the Fifth Air Force By John Stanaway & Bob Rocker |
The 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (8PRS) was formed at March Field, California, on 1 February 1942 (under War Department Letter, File AG 320.2, dated 23 December 1941 - MR-M-AAF, dated 13 January 1942). Three Officers and twenty eight enlisted men from the 4th Mapping Squadron, March Field, California formed the nucleus of the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron joining the squadron on 20 February 1942.
Nine more officers from the 4th Mapping Squadron joined 8PRS on 7 March 1942. Another 40 volunteer enlisted men from the 102nd Observation Squadron, 69th Observation Group at Morrow Field volunteered to join 8PRS at March Field on 13 March 1942 and to proceed into foreign service with the squadron. Other personnel came direct from Basic Training Centres at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and Mechanics and Airplane Specialists from Keesler Field Mississippi, and Photographic Personnel from Lowry Field, Colorado. Other personnel came from other centres too numerous to mention.
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron originally consisted of three Flights, "A", "B", and "C".
From 1 February 1942 until 18 March 1942, "A" Flight was under the command of the 4th Air Force, in San Francisco, California. From 9 March 1942 until 4 September 1942, "A" Flight was under the command of Headquarters, NEA AAF.
"B" Flight came under the command of the 4th Air Force, San Francisco, California from 19 March 1942, at which time "A" Flight departed for foreign service, until 21 June 1942. "B" Flight then came under the command of Headquarters, NEA AAF from 22 June 1942 until 4 September 1942.
"C" Flight remained with "B" Flight and their movements were the same.
Flights "A", "B" and "C" were part of the 435th Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group from 16 July 1942 until 23 February 1943. This was despite the fact that the 435th Bombardment Squadron of the 19th Bomb Group left Australia for the States in November 1942. The 8th PRS came under 5th Bomber Command of the Fifth Air Force from 5 September 1942 until 5 December 1943 at which time it was transferred to the 6th Photographic Group Reconnaissance in accordance with General Orders No. 315, Fifth Air Force, dated 5 December 1943. The 6th Photographic Group Reconnaissance was in turn subordinated to the 512th Reconnaissance Wing per General Orders No. 31, Fifth Air Force, dated 31 December 1943.
FLIGHT MOVEMENTS
| FLIGHT | LOCATION | ARRIVED | DEPARTED |
| "A" Flight | March Field, California | 1 Feb 42 | 14 Mar 42 |
| San Francisco Port of Embarkation | 15 Mar 42 | 18 Mar 42 | |
| S.S. President Coolidge | 19 Mar 42 | 7 Apr 42 | |
| Camp Pell, Melbourne | 7 Apr 42 | 24 Apr 42 | |
| Camp Doomben, Brisbane | 24 Apr 42 | 2 May 42 | |
| Townsville | 2 May 42 | ||
| "B" & "C" Flights | March Field, California | 14 Mar 42 | 16 Jun 42 |
| San Francisco Port of Embarkation | 17 Jun 42 | 21 Jun 42 | |
| S.S. Matsonia | 22 Jun 42 | 16 Jul 42 | |
| Camp Murphy, Melbourne | 16 Jul 42 | 24 Jul 42 | |
| Townsville | 27 Jul 42 |
The three flights were reunited in Townsville, Australia on 27 July 1942.
"A" Flight only had four F4 Lightning aircraft which were operational in late April and early May 1942 under the command of 1st Lieutenant Karl L. "Pop" Polifka. He commanded 8PRS until November 1942 when he was posted to Europe.
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron used F4 and F5 aircraft for the most part, but at various times many types of aircraft were assigned to or used by the Squadron. On 5 September 1942, the Squadron began operating eight F4 Lightnings. Other aircraft types used by the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron for photographic reconnaissance were:-
B-17E Flying Fortress
B-24 Liberator
B-25 Mitchell
B-26 Marauder
P-39 Airacobra
However the F4 and later the F5 continued to be the basic photo aircraft. Three K-17 cameras with 6" focal length were mounted in the nose of each F4 Lightning in addition to one K-18 camera. The 6" cameras were used principally for mapping and the 24" for reconnaissance work. 12" K-17 cameras were employed occasionally for special missions. In addition to these cameras, the B-17 Flying Fortress was mounted with K-18 and K-17 12" obliques with great success.
In April 1942, Polifka acquired a B-24 Liberator and crew, which he used to photograph the gathering of the Japanese fleet at Rabaul. 8PRS acquired B-17 Flying Fortress "Old 58" on Friday 31 July 1942.
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron were flying out of the Stock Route airfield while they were in Townsville. Jim McEwan described it as "a little dirt field that was located down a short road leading from the front of Garbutt field. It was farm land but later when I came down to Townsville from Port Moresby to have our B-17 repaired there were a few large hangars on that little road."
The Stock Route airfield is seen running upwards to the
right across this photo. I believe the F-4 Lightnings
were parked possibly off the eastern side of the road running south east
from the Stock Route airfield.
The large USAAF Air Depot known as Depot #2 was later built on the land at the top left had side of the above photo with some storage hangars towards the bottom of the above photo. See the plan of the Air Depot below covering a similar area to the photo above.
Plan of Depot #2 near Mount Louisa
F4 Lightning believed to be parked in bush just south of the Stock Route airfield
Photo:- Keith Hopper collection
Two F4 Lightnings of the 8th PRS, most likely at their bush camp just south of the Stock Route airfield
Captain Polifka completed a photo mission of the Bundaberg area on 27 July 1942.
F4 Lightning #25 at the Stock Route airfield
Photo Lab in a high set apartment building at 630 Sturt Street, Townsville
Photo:- via Edward Rogers
Townsville Photo Lab in Sturt Street
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron set up their first photographic laboratory in high set apartments at 630 Sturt Street, Townsville. Bud Sowers was the officer in charge of the photo lab. While the building was being converted into a photo lab, the Squadron did their processing in an A2 trailer that was drawn up behind the building. As soon as practicable the lab was moved into the building. Their new photo lab operated from May 1942 until December 1942. Their second photo lab was located in Port Moresby and was shared with the RAAF Photo Section.
Photo:- via Edward Rogers
Plotting table in the Townsville Photo Lab
Photo:- via Edward Rogers
Inside the Townsville Photo Lab in Sturt Street
Photo:- via Edward Rogers
Finishing Room, Townsville Photo Lab October 1942
A number of pilots from the 8th Photo Recce Squadron were living in a house at 38 Stokes Street near the centre of the Townsville business area. Bill Groves from Mount Isa told me that his mother, who lived at 30 Hale Street just around the corner, used to do the washing for a number of the pilots including, the Commanding Officer Karl Polifka, and pilots Ralph Watts, Weller, Gorton, Rogers and Ludtke of "A" Flight. Bill Groves remembers playing with their .45 calibre guns on a few occasions. He also remembers that Lt. Ralph Watts gave him a belt with beading on it and the word Mexico written on it. Bill Groves told me that Lt. Ralph Watts had a small Koala Bear which was his good luck charm that he took with him on his missions.
I rang Ralph Watts on 7 June 2001 to confirm whether he was the pilot who made a forced landing of his F4 Lightning on the salt pan at Pimlico after taking off from the Stock Route airfield. I also spoke to his wife Minnie. Ralph confirmed that he was indeed the pilot and that he had been involved in another more serious crash about 4 days beforehand when returning from New Guinea to Townsville after a mission. He could not remember the exact location of this earlier crash but guessed it may have been 100 miles north of Townsville. Some time later, as a result of this first crash, Ralph Watts discovered that he had received a minor fracture of one of his vertebrae. I mentioned Bill Groves to Ralph and he very clearly remembered him and his mother. Bill Groves told me later that when he rang Ralph on about 10 June 2001, Ralph said the crash may have been at Toonpan just outside Townsville. He apparently dug the nose wheel in when he made the forced landing.
On 5 September 1942, an advanced echelon of 3 Officers and 80 enlisted men left Townsville on the S.S Swartenhondt for Port Moresby arriving there on 9 September 1942. They established their camp just off Laloki Drome. The rear echelon of the Squadron arrived at Laloki Drome daily by aircraft and the whole Squadron had relocated about 6 weeks later. The 8PRS operated from Schwimmer (formerly Laloki Drome) until 5 January 1944, when operations moved to Durand.
Of the sixteen pilots with the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron on 5 September, 1942 only three had any photographic experience in the F4 Lightning and only Captain Polifke, had actually photographed enemy territory. The remaining thirteen pilots had an average of less than ten hours each in the F4 Lightning and not one of them had ever taken a picture from the F4 Lightning.
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron lost an F4 Lightning on 2 May 1942. The plane was flown by Captain Louis J. Connely, and was reported MIA over Lae, New Guinea. It is believed that Captain Connelly did not survive.
Photo:- James Christensen collection
C. Williams of 8 PRS
Photo:- James Christensen collection
"Pete"
Photo:- James Christensen collection
8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron sign
COMMANDING OFFICERS
| FLIGHT | COMMANDING OFFICER | START | FINISH |
| "A" Flight | 1st Lt. Karl L. Polifka | 1 Feb 42 | 12 Nov 42 |
| 1st Lt. Frank S. Savage | 12 Nov 42 | 4 Jun 42 | |
| Capt A. L. Post (see Note 2) | 4 Jun 43 | 20 Jun 43 | |
| Capt John G. Foster | 20 Jun 43 | 8 Dec 43 | |
| Capt DeLasso Loos | 8 Dec 43 | ||
| "B" & "C" Flights | Capt. Frank L. Dunn | 14 Mar 42 | 16 Jun 42 |
| 1st Lt. Paul O. Staller | 17 Jun 42 | 16 Jul 42 | |
| 1st Lt. Karl L. Polifka (See Note 1) | 16 Jul 42 | 12 Nov 42 | |
| 1st Lt. Frank S. Savage | 12 Nov 42 | 4 Jun 42 | |
| Capt A. L. Post (See Note 2) | 4 Jun 43 | 20 Jun 43 | |
| Capt John G. Foster | 20 Jun 43 | 8 Dec 43 | |
| Capt DeLasso Loos | 8 Dec 43 |
NOTES:-
1. All Flights were united under a single Commanding Officer 1st. Lt. Karl L. Polifka from 16 July 1942.
2. Capt A. L. Post was reported missing in action on 20 June 1943.
Ron Cuskelly <cuskelly@powerup.com.au> is researching details of two F4 Lightnings which were possibly loaned by the 8th Photo Recon Squadron to 75 Squadron RAAF towards the end of 1943.
http://www.adastron.com/lockheed/lightning/75sqn.htm
Ron is trying to match USAAF serials to the "Malaria Mabel" and "Map Happy Pappy".
The following are entries from a small book on the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron:-
| Monday 27 July
1942 The Eighth Photo Squadron has come of age today with the arrival of 19 officers and 133 enlisted men. What with the new men from the 435th Bomb Squadron and our own fledgling group, we now total 32 officers and 230 enlisted men. These new stateside chaps look like smart boys and although they perhaps lack a little in experience, they will rapidly pick up and absorb the pearls of wisdom dropped by us veterans and soon be a terrific fighting aggregation. Allow me a brief moment of repose while I stroke this long gray beard. Lt. Paul Staller by all reports did a magnificent job of herding the group across that wide blue sea and looks in pretty good shape considering the responsibility. It is rumored, however, that he heaved more than a faint sigh of relief when Capt. Polifka, the bemustached Commanding Officer, met the group in Melbourne. Just to show the boys that they are here for business, Lt. Newton met the train and grabbed off "Hap" Hazzard as co-pilot for a flight to Charters Towers where B-17 #126666 is to be overhauled. Forgetting that "Hap" was just in from the States, Newton said, "Get the superchargers." And so on takeoff Hazzard proceeded to pull them back one by one. That is one of the reasons a man seems to age quickly over here. Hazzard was aptly named. Captain Polifka completed a photo mission of Bundaberg and vicinity. Tuesday 28 July 1942 To aid the Squadron in its training program, the Nips visited Townsville with air raid No. 2 at 0221. One serial 43 Flying Boat was picked up in the searchlight and engaged by A/A. The Jap jettisoned his bombs five miles NW of Garbutt field and then disappeared. Six P-39's were airborne but couldn't seem to locate the enemy. Capt. Polifka departed for Port Moresby in P-38 "2325" at 0930 for photo missions from that base. He reached Port Moresby at 1150. The following named officers were appointed to the Squadron jobs listed below, effective this date:- CAPTAIN WEIDNER. ..Squadron Executive Wednesday 29 July 1942 Raid No. 3 was endured this cold morning. One serial 43 Flying Boat came over at 0027 and dropped from six to eight bombs in Cleveland Bay west of Magnetic Island. There were no casualties and no damage was done. Four fighters were airborne and two intercepted. The passes were made at 21,000 ft. and the enemy's tail was observed alight but later extinguished. Five more passes were made and hits scored. Lt. Post, A. L. was appointed Squadron Armament Officer, effective this date. Friday 31 July 1942 Remember those new B-17's we were promised. Well, 2458, better known as "Old 58" was turned over to us today, and it still has the old remote turret. Another headache for the Armament Section. Taking advantage of a brief breathing spell from our arduous duties, the officers and men opposed each other in a soft-ball game. Why is it the officers, those hand-picked specimens of physical manhood, supposedly possessing the ultimate in coordination and reaction time, can never beat the enlisted men? The EM's didn't need that last half inning. August 1, 2, 3, 4 Not much happening these days. The new ships down in Melbourne aren't ready yet and our old beat-up jobs are out of commission, so most of the men are getting set in their jobs with occasional excursions to teh countryside to find out what makes Australia tick. Surles, Newton and Reaid have been giving B-17 transition time to Staller, Thomas, Roerig, Gorton, and Rogers. Friday 7 August 1942 Lieutenants Newton, Rogers, Surles, and Thomas and crew in "Old 58" departed for Horn Island carrying enlisted personnel and supplies for the photographic laboratory. They arrived Horn Island at 1330 and departed for Townsville at 1500. Because of darkness and bad weather, it was impossible to distinguish position along coast and they were forced to climb above the weather to avoid the danger of mountains. Since Townsville could not be seen the ship was flown to Charters Towers but it was also closed in. They returned to Garbutt Field. The same thing could have been done earlier had the radio operator been more familiar with the green code book. All operators are forewarned. Monday 10 August 1942 Lts. Gardner and Foster returned from D. S. with 435th Recon Squadron. They each have a mission to Rabaul and to Buka in the log books -- B-17 time. Lt. Savage in ship 12123 returned from Port Moresby at 1715/K having successfully completed photographic missions from that base. Thursday 13 August 1942 Lt. Paul Staller in ship 2125 left Townsville at 1045 for Port Moresby via Horn Island. He reached Horn Island o.k. and took off from there at 1700. He is now long overdue at Port Moresby and they have had no word from him there. Lt. Newton with a makeshift crew left this morning in "58" for a mapping mission of the Darwin area. With Art Post as navigator, Fred Hargesheimer as bombardier, and Air Commodore Hewitt as a passenger, he will have his hands full. Friday 14 August 1942 We have received no word from Paul
Staller, and a thorough check of the New Guinea airdromes has been made
without results. We must therefore assume that either his engines or
navigation instruments failed him and must list him as "Missing In
Action." Sunday 16 August 1942 A big promotion day in the Squadron. Surles is a big dog now with Captain's bars. Roerig, Sowers and Rogers are strutting about with First Lt. bars. Congratulations, one and all. Newton returned from Darwin today and except for landing at the wrong field and a slight and very excusable hole in the photo mosaic, they performed very creditably. We apologize for calling it a makeshift crew. Monday 17 August 1942 "Doc" Savage, after completing his photo mission around Brisbane, took off for Townsville at 1320 today. Tired and worn from the strenuous duties of the photo pilot, he tacked onto a B-26 coming in this direction, thereby dispensing with the difficult task of navigation. Everything was going nicely and Doc was having a wonderful time sticking his wing tip into one side and then the other of the B-26's cockpit. Presently the '26 peeled off and landed and Doc in his best stateside manner did likewise. Everything 100% except for one thing —- the field was at Bowen. Only the best of the Air Corps is here, Doc. We had to put the other fellows somewhere else. Wednesday 26 August 1942 Capt. Polifka went into the hospital today with an infected foot. His is a bad case of athlete's foot. Others are now forewarned. Friday 22 August - part of Saturday 5 September 1942 These entries are unreadable on the copy that I have Saturday 5 September 1942 We are seeing the last of the B-17 as an Eighth Photo aircraft. Air Force today transferred the B-17's to the 435th Bomb Squadrons. Capt. Polifka gave the three crew commanders, Capt. Surles, Lt. Humiston, and Lt. Newton their choice of flying personnel and we are certainly losing some good men. All the best, gentlemen, we hate to see you go. Eighty-five enlisted men and three officers boarded the boat for Port Moresby today. The rest of the Squadron is either flying up or remaining in the photo lab here in Townsville. We are now headed for the Nips and the jungle. Is that .45 oiled? Sunday 6 September 1942 Operations is getting very confused these days. We are to operate from Moresby's Seven-Mile strip until our camp at Laloki Drome is prepared. In line with this, Lt. Reid flew pilots Morton, Foster, and Gardner, and crew chiefs Nielson and Meech from Townsville to Moresby. Tomorrow other pilots will fly F-4's up there. Somehow or other, we will finally have everybody in Moresby and commence to function. Monday 7 September 1942 Lt. Newton flew the author and his right-hand man, Sgt. Hammond, up to Moresby where they are to set up Operations and Intelligence and carry on until the rest of the Squadron arrives. The site of operations is to be 14-Mile, or properly Laloki Drome, in honor of the river rushing past the field. May I comment on the occasion? We were unceremoniously dumped at 7-Mile, complete with filing cases and other impediments and then Newton took off for Townsville again. Morton, Foster, and Gardner met us finally and being in something of a tailspin, I was more than ordinarily overjoyed to see them. They had one of the trucks, so we threw our stuff aboard and went up to Arcadia. We had no more than sat down to dinner when the air raid siren screamed, so we charged up the hill to our slit trench. Soon 26 medium bombers of Nipponese origin unloaded their bomb bays on 7-Mile Drome. This was our first taste of daylight bombing and we were properly scared. After the raid everybody went down to look at the damage. There we are sitting in Operations, what was left of it, when a delayed-action bomb goes off. Everybody hit the dirt at once and they ended up stacked about three deep. A few pieces of metal flew around but mostly dirt and nobody got hurt. This is almost war. The camp site is just as bad as one might expect. We set up tents last night and started out putting them in the woods where they couldn't be seen from the air. The idea was all right but the mosquitoes presented too many arguments, so after the first tent we set the rest in the clearing. Olson is carrying about 100 bites to the rear of each knee and didn't sleep last night, but the tents are up. The first lesson of the jungle is, "Don't wear shorts." Capt. Polifka, Lt. Savage, and Lt. Rennels flew three of the F-4's into Seven-Mile today. |
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8th Photo Reconnaissance
Squadron Newsletter |
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F4 Lightning flown by
Captain Conolly
lost on a mission from Townsville
to Rabail on 4 May 1942
Forced landing
of an F4 Lightning
flown by Lt. Ralph Watts
or near Toonpan on 4 May 1942
Forced landing of a
P-38 Lightning on the salt pan
at Pimlico in Townsville in about September 1942?
| E-mails
from Lawrence Packard son of photographer Francis M. Packard in 8 PR Squadron |
E-mails
from John H. Tinkle |
E-mails
from Capt. Dave Korzun |
| E-mails
from Jim McEwan of the 8 PR Squadron Now archivist and historian for the 8th Photo veteran's association |
E-mails
from Laban West son of Gordon West of the 8 PR Squadron |
E-mails
from William Hilliard Of the 8th PR Squadron |
I am interested in details of
the forced landing of a F4 Lightning
in a saltpan behind where I lived in Townsville. Could this have been
a P-38 from the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron?
Can anyone help me?
| Update:- | Larry Packard has been able to confirm that this was an F4 Lightning from the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron. Larry has referred me to Jim McEwan who has provided me with more details. |
REFERENCES
Historical Records of the 8th PRS, on microfilm
from Maxwell AFB
Details supplied by Michael Moskow (steelydanman@worldnet.att.net)
The Eight Ballers: Eyes of the Fifth Air Force
The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in World War II
By John Stanaway & Bob Rocker
https://www.schifferbooks.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I'd like to thank Kevin Parkes for his assistance in determining the location of the 8th PR's Photographic Laboratory in Sturt Street. I'd also like to thank A. L. Fishman for his assistance with this home page.
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
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© Peter Dunn OAM 2020 |
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This page first produced 26 April 1999
This page last updated 01 December 2024
