Just a "flowback" prior to going missing on Air Ops 11/07/42  PNG in P-400 Aerocobra BW117, it should be noted that the pilot had arrived in Australia in January 1942 . He was originally earmarked to join the 49thPG.
 
He obviously had little hours on the type, and was recorded undergoing conversion training in RAAF Wirraways, on the 22nd February 1942 at Archerfield, near Brisbane.
He was dual in CAC Wirraway A20-109 of 23Sqn RAAF, under the command of Wing Commander Hefferon along with 2nd Lt Vodrey and 2nd Lt Piere Alford. (Both of these were to fly with the 49thPG) in a total of six flights.
 
Hefferon was himself test flying newly assembled P-40E/E-1s as well as training in-experienced USAAF Pursuit Pilots of the period
 
Having been refreshed, Kirtland would be allocated his P-40E the next day.
 
Kirtland and P-40E FY41-5308 were to travel with 19 other Warhawks, under command of Captain James Bruce, to Mascot NSW. This ferry flight was deferred until the 26th Febuary 1942
 
This aircraft, 41-5308 was recorded on the 7thPursuit Squadron aircraft list per the 6th March 1942 at Mascot.
 
It seems with the delivery of P-39D/Fs, that additional experienced pilots were needed to flesh out these Units. He's one of those chosen.
At the present time, I can't say when he was transferred to the 35thPG, but it seems to be around April 42.
 
It should be noted that the 35thPG was infact the renumbered 31st PG that arrived on the 02/02/42 Phoenix Convoy, along with the 49thPG. It was re-numbered the 35thPG on April 1st, 1942.
 
Perhaps a reader can state whether or not he may have been injured in an accident as there are no records of him in the 49thPG past this period.
 
What's a Wirraway?..see attached for a profile,...a North American Designed and modified, produced in Australia.
 
Best
Gordy
 

Attached Image(s)

It should be noted that the 35thPG was infact the renumbered 31st PG that arrived on the 02/02/42 Phoenix Convoy, along with the 49thPG. It was re-numbered the 35thPG on April 1st, 1942.

 
Gordon,
35th PG was always numbered 35th since constituted 22Dec39.
There was a mix-up when the old 35th Group HQ personnel went on from Australia to India and later a new set of personnel were assigned to the new 35th Group HQ in Australia.
There was no re-numbering of 35th PG as you describe.
 
Cheers, Wynnum.
 
35th F Group.   
Constitute                22Dec39                 As Pursuit Gp
Activate                 1Feb40
Sqns to PI                Nov41                    21st &34th
Sail for PI                5Dec41                   HQ &70th Sqn
Turnabout to US                7Dec41                   Ditto
HQ & 70th Sqn                 12Jan42                  Sail to Australia
Sqns assigned out            15Jan42                21st, 34th, &70th.
Sqns assigned in               15Jan42                39th, 40th & 41st.
HQ reach Aust                   Feb42                   Sails on to India
HQ transfer to Aust          May42                Paperwork move only
 
 It turned out that the [original] 35th Group HQ and the 35th Interceptor Control Squadron continued on from Australia, possibly intended to go to Java [controversy still surrounds this move], but in fact they reached New Delhi in Mar42, and the personnel did not return to Australia.
A new 35th Gp HQ was raised in Australia from pick-up personnel, and the old HQ closed down.
-------------oOo----------
 
 
 

Dear Wynnum,

Read the attached per orders USAFIA, then perhaps you may wish to redress your statement concerning the 31st PG.

As for the Figher Interceptor Control Unit in Java, specifically to supervise the Provisionals, you may wish to investigate the link with Major Fisher and his role in February 42, especially after Sprague's death, and with Lt George Kiser running the 17thPS(prov). You may just come up with a Unit.

What went to India, specifically on MS-5 portion to India, was the 51st PG HQ, but I feel you may be right per the 35thPG HQ.
 
I'll check.

Best
Gordy

Attached Image(s)

Dear Wynnum,

An update per your mention of the 35thPG, I thought I had better give you some additional information

As per attached, you are quite correct in that both the 51stFG HQ and the 35thFG HQ went to India. It seems that the 35thFG HQ disappeared in India.

This is a extract of the loading ex Melbourne, the starting point of MS-5 Convoy

Additional  to the 31st PG Plate change in the last post,....it did arrived on the SS Scott 09/03/42 as follows:
Headquarters 31st Interceptor Control Squadron, Provisional
39th Pursuit Squadron
40th Pursuit Squadron
41st Pursuit Squadron
 
The 35thPG's two missing Squadrons (21st and 34th)were infact in the Philippines attached to the 4thPG, making the number of  Squadrons attached to five 
The 35thPG HQ Squadron and the missing 70th Pursuit Squadron were on the way. Neither made it, and the 70thPS served with another Group in the Pacific
 
The first shipment of 35thPG P-39Ds were also on the way, as the proposed equipment of this Group. But that's another story to be told separately in the future as they ended up in Hawaii.
 
Incidently the new 31st Fg Mk2 was constituted and later sent in late 1942 to the UK with another "type" close to my heart, but with different Squadron numbers
 
I think, as you would agree, the period is fraut with the lineage difficulties and identification of Parent Units, however, Period documents state the facts at the time and one must follow the evidence.

Besty
Gordy

Attached Image(s)

A better break down of the MS-5 Units
 
 

Attached Image(s)

Gordon,
May I refer you to the Maurer Maurer Squadron and Unit histories.
 
31st P Gp HQ was at New Orleans Feb-May42 - it did not transfer to Australia - it was not re-numbered during 1942
 
35th P Gp HQ transferred US-Australia-India-Australia in 1942 as I previously described - it was not renumbered during 1942.
 
39th, 40th, and 41st  P Sqns transferred in to 35th P Gp on 15Jan42, ex 31st P Gp. They had no other group-to-group transfers during 1942.
 
May I suggest the General Brett document of 01Apr42 is a not-best-worded document trying to clarify a series of previous events. - - - - and who knows, Brett may have released another document soon after, correcting the errors.
 
Cheers, Wynnum.
 
 
Below are some notes on 35th Gp - I made these some years ago.
----------------oOo--------
 
35th P Gp existed prior to the US entering WWII, composed of 21st, 34th and 70th P Sqns.
In 1941, the group began to transfer to the Philippines, 21st and 34th Sqns reaching Manila on 20Nov41. Being now detached from the group HQ which was still in the US, 21st and 34th Sqns were attached to 24th P Gp, and never did rejoin 35th P Gp.
 
8Dec41                                   18P31                        
Attached to 24 Gp, from 35 Gp were:
      21st P Sqn. Nichols Field, I/C - Lt Edward Dyess.   with 16 P-40,  and
      34th P Sqn. Del Carmen, I/C - Lt Sam Merritt.           with 29 P-35.
 
 
39th, 40th, and 41st Sqns of 31st P Gp were due to fly Airacobras from the US  to the UK in Feb42, but that project was cancelled. It might best be put that the Group HQ and most of the squadron pilots were 'reserved' for duty in the UK, flying Spitfires, using new squadron numbers, leaving the old squadron numbers to be re-assigned to another group, in this case the 35th.
 
 
28Dec41                                 153P32   
Gen Arnold notified Gen Brett that the remainder of  35th P Gp, consisting of Group Headquarters squadron and one combat squadron were to be sent to South-West Pacific. Also being sent were two other pursuit groups with 160 planes, 235 additional fighter planes (P-40, P-39, and P-400) with 180 combat crews.
 <WBG> 15Jan42 Squadron transfers altered the above - the "one combat squadron" mention was 70th which transfered out of 35th Gp and was sent to Fiji initially not assigned to a group.
<WBG>  It turned out that the [original] 35th Group HQ and the 35th Interceptor Control Squadron continued on from Australia, possibly intended to go to Java [controversy still surrounds this move], but in fact they reached New Delhi in Mar42, and the personnel did not return to Australia.
A new 35th Gp HQ was raised in Australia from pick-up personnel, and the old HQ closed down.
 
<BG>  The last original squadron of 35th Gp to leave US was 70th Sqn, the other two had reached Philippines pre-war. 70th Sqn was re-assigned out of 35th Gp on 15Jan42 just as they sailed from  San Francisco, was landed at Fiji with 39 crated P-39, and assigned now to US Army Forces, Fiji 28Jan-3Oct42. After that, they were eventually assigned to 18th F Gp of 13th Air Force in SoPac, and later further north.
 
 
The Australian Connection.
 
300Pxx Cobra in the Clouds, J Stanaway
 
15Jan42                                  191P52
39th, 40th, and 41st Sqns were re-assigned from 31st P Gp to 35th P Gp, and were ordered to Australia.
31st P Gp HQ retained about two thirds of the pilots and one third of the enlisted men, remained US for some time, then went to England.
300P45 - lists only 11 pilots in the 39th Sqn overseas orders [to Australia] of 18Jan42 which accords with the figure of two thirds of pilots being retained for European service. 
By May42, pilot numbers had rebuilt, 27 are listed.
 
31Jan42
The depleted 35th Gp squadrons [newly assigned, ex 31st Gp] departed San Francisco - 8th Gp departed a few days later as their ship was delayed by mechanical trouble.
With both groups came approximately 75 Airacobra P-400 [export models] which went to 35th Gp, and approximately 75 Airacobra P-39E and F models. All were in crates.
300P5 - says 39th Sqn was on USS Ancon.
 
2Feb42                                   138P31
35th P Gp HQ arrived Australia, ahead of its newly acquired squadrons.
<BG> this is Tunney, Fight-back from the North. What he doesn't say is it continued on to India, only a paperwork exercise returned the HQ name to Australia, not the personnel.
 
12Feb42                                 212P50
35th Gp HQ Sqn and 35th Interceptor  Control Sqn joined the convoy leaving Melbourne, went on to India.
 
 
25Feb42                                 165P- -     and others
39th, 40th, and 41st Sqns reached Brisbane, Australia.
 
25Feb42                                 16P54                158P- -
35th Gp arrived Brisbane. All vehicles and planes were still in California.Two months later, supplies slowly began to arrive at various ports throughout Australia.
212P317 - says only two of 35th Gp's 29 pilots had flown a pursuit aircraft.
<BG>  Note the mention of 29 pilots for the group, an indication of the depletion of pilots at that time. A full strength group at that time would count at least 100 pilots.

 
3Mar42                                   300P4
39th Sqn personnel [<WBG> and most likely also 40th and 41st Sqn personnel] re-embarked ship at Brisbane and sailed to reach Melbourne 8Mar42, then a brief stay at Ballarat.
 
Mar42                                     165P- -
39th, 40th, and 41st Sqns reach Ballarat.  [<BG> c8Mar42].
Mount Gambier is the next listing for each of these squadrons, but no dates are given.
<BG>  Unlikely all personnel went to Mt Gambier, just enough pilots for ferry duty of the P-39s from that aerodrome.
 
Mar42                                     128P3, P39.
Col Legg was posted to Broome on 1Mar42, to organise evacuation of US personnel from Java.
He was later [12Mar42 - 208P90] posted to Brisbane, where he organised [as CO] the 35th F Gp, then served in New Guinea until Jun43, when he returned to the US.

 
 
 

Dear Wynnum,
 
To the centric statement, this was background information for 2nd Lt Kirtland.
 
Not a drawn out discussion on the history of the 35thPG
 
On the validity of these Documents. They were not released until years after in 1972 well after the Maurer Maurer Squadron and Unit histories listing was done(Circa 1951?).
 
I had offered this document to support my statement.
 
I think it did rather succinctly.
 
The source Microfilm Reel is the USAFIA HQ Files.
 
I truly believe or at the very best figured, that they would have a handle or knowledge on what units that they had under their command at this specific time.
 
The validity of "the" official order? 
 
Why wasn't  there a countermand recorded?
 
How would I know ?
 
All I know is that it did happen per documents that support the statement, from the 1st April,42 and the Group was known then known as the 35thPG in Australia.
 
In all honesty I didn't think that there was a document either.
 
Well it exists, along with even more interesting items.
 
I often wonder and think about the trouble that Christopher Columbus must have had, since all written books and maps show that the world was flat.
 
So I'm moving on rather the argue whats written and what a document says.
 
Perhaps you should start your own post on 35thPG/FG History or other Groups so as to establish what is written. I'm sure readers would be interested
 
Best
Gordy