"Bataan", General Douglas MacArthur's personal aircraft in Australia during WW2

"BATAAN", GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR'S
PERSONAL AIRCRAFT IN AUSTRALIA DURING WW2

visits since 7 September 2003

Photo supplied by Ross Jones

The nose of "Bataan", Macarthur's personal B-17E Flying Fortress

Photo supplied by Ross Jones

Colour photograph of "Bataan"
possibly at Nadzab in New
Guinea. Thomas L. Jones in
on the left with Paul Solomon
on the right.

Photo supplied by Ross Jones

The nose of "Bataan", Macarthur's personal B-17E Flying Fortress

General Douglas MacArthur had his own personal B-17E Flying Fortress which he named "Bataan". Weldon E. "Dusty" Rhoades, was Macarthur's personal pilot. Rhoades was an ex United Airlines pilot.

"Bataan" later known as "Bataan I" when MacArthur obtained "Bataan II" a new C-54.

"Dusty" Rhoades travelled to Amberley airfield on 1 August 1944 to try to determine how they could convert one of their new C-54B's into General MacArthur's new personal aircraft.

On 19 April 1945, General Douglas Macarthur and his wife Jean inspected "Bataan II" at Santa Monica. "Bataan II" was his new C-54, his new personal aircraft.

Pilots Major Karl Oviatt and Major Skov flew General Sutherland back to the the States in "Bataan I". They left Manila, Philippines on the evening of 4 August 1945 at 2000 hours. On 11 August 1945, MacArthur ordered General Sutherland to return from the States immediately as the atomic bombs had just been dropped on Japan and the Japanese surrender appeared imminent.

The pilots and crew of Bataan I had been given leave of absence on their arrival in the States, so they had to be located at short notice. By then "Bataan I" was already undergoing major repairs at Wright Field.

After only 5 days in the USA General Sutherland left in a different B-17 Flying Fortress leaving the tired old "Bataan I" in the USA. Sutherland arrived back in Manila at 6:15am on 18 August 1945.

The May 1944 edition of the Brisbane US Military Telephone Directory shows a Captain Karl E. Oviatt in Planning Division, G-3 GHQ in room 715 in GHQ, SWPA (AMP building, Queens Street, Brisbane). I found a Grey Eagles Web site which showed a Karl E. Oviatt, an ex American Airlines pilot, dying on 21 February 2007. This is probably the same Karl Oviatt.

Does anyone know what became of "Bataan I"
after its overhaul at Wright Field?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Ross Jones for his assistance with this home page.

REFERENCES

"Flying MacArthur to Victory"
By Weldon E. "Dusty" Rhoades

Can anyone help me with more information ?