Second Lieutenant Richard Earl Pingree USAAF
RSL (Port Pirie Sub Branch) Inc.Richard Earl Pingree was born in Idaho Falls, Bonneville, Idaho, United States of America (USA) on the 9th June 1920 to Samuel Earl and Nina Laverne Pingree (nee Handley). He graduated from Ogden Senior High School and Weber College and was a member of the Latter Day Saints Church.
He married Margaret Fowers on the 23rd July 1941, in Logan, Utah, USA. He lived in Ogden, Utah, USA where he registered for military service as a flying cadet in November 1940 with the United States Army Air Force (USAAF). He received his commission as a Second Lieutenant early in July of 1941 receiving his training at March Field in California and in the latter part of December was called for overseas duty.
Immediately after the attack on Pearl Harbour on the 7th December 1941, a major operation began in the United States for the establishment of a large number of pursuit squadrons in the pacific. The principal aeroplane used was the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk (Kittyhawk). The whole squadron would fly to Hawaii and then onto Australia, using drop tanks. Each of these squadrons was accompanied to their destinations by a bomber aircraft specifically equipped for navigation. Both man and machine were stretched to their limit with the P-40 pilots being fresh out of training school.
Second Lieutenant Richard Earl Pingree was at Port Pirie RAAF base as a consequence of a recurring armament failure in his aircraft. His squadron (33 Pursuit Squadron-USAAF), under the command of Major Floyd Pell were in transit from Queensland to Perth for transport by ship to the Dutch East Indies. This order was changed and the rest of the squadron was diverted to Darwin on the 17th February and were involved in the defence of the first attacks on Darwin by the Japanese on the 19th February 1942.
On Thursday the 19th February 1942, Second Lieutenant Richard Earl Pingree lost his life in defence of our country when the P-40E Warhawk he was flying dived into the ground approximately 400 metres west of the Port Pirie Cemetery.
Official Summary: “Following test trials on his aircraft, Second Lieutenant Pingree was flying over Port Pirie when his aircraft went out of control and dived into the ground, killing him instantly. Cause unknown.”
The body of Second Lieutenant Richard Earl Pingree, Service Number O-421661 was transported to Hawaii and buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu on the 26th January 1949. No records were found that he was interred for any length of time in the Port Pirie Cemetery and the Port Pirie Council has no historical records of his being registered for burial or cremation in Port Pirie.
