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Ensign John Hamley, RIP

Exactly one week after Emperor Hirohito announced the Japanese surrender ending WWII in the Pacific, Ensign John M. Hamley was flying in a Hellcat F6F-5, BuNo 71312 over Oahu.   He was one of a two plane section airborne around noon on the 21st of August 1945.  Ensign Hamley disappeared after entering a cloud bank.  The ensuing Search for him was unsuccessful.  His aircraft and body weren't found until over a month later on 9/26/45 .  The wreckage was scattered in pieces near Mt Ka'aumakua in the northern Ko'olau Range.

A HAPS survey was recently done of the site  in concert with a U.S. Fish and Wildlife work party on the Oahu National Forest Refuge.  Very little of the aircraft remains today and most of the pieces are small and badly deformed from impact.   Click here for a copy of the accident report

 

The photo gallery below

General Site area

Rope descent down to river

Piece of cowling

Crumpled skin

Empennage piece

Exterior skin

Farthest piece down river

another view of farthest piece

Piece of tire

Stainless and aluminum pieces

Bent tailhook

Ogata collection

Waterfall and pool below impact area

Waterfall below

Wing bracing

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