B-25J-15-NC 44-29023

History

B-25J-15-NC 44-29023 was delivered on August 19, 1944. She was part of the allotment of B-25s assigned to the Netherlands East Indian Air Force which operated out of Australia during WWII. She was flown from Hunter Field, Georgia to Australia and turned over to Dutch personnel in September 1944. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

Base Assignments

She was taken on strength by No. 18 squadron on September 19, 1944 and was in service with this unit until July 25, 1945 when No. 18 Squadron was turned over to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force or the ML-KNIL (Dutch Colonial Army Air Force) inventory. She flew missions against Japanese installations and shipping in the southwest Pacific from October 1944 to March 26, 1945. In March she was sent to No. 14 Air Repair Depot for modifications and a 300-hour inspection. She was sent back to No. 18 Squadron on June 8, 1945. No. 18 Squadron's personnel had moved to Jacquinot Bay, New Guinea at the end of 1944 but the aircraft remained in Australia and still flew missions from airbases in the Northern Territory with the support help of RAAF No. 2 Squadron who also operated B-25s at the time. In May 1945 the squadron was officially moved back to Darwin, Australia from New Guinea. The aircraft and squadron personnel got back together in early August 1945 at Balikpapan, Indonesia. By this time the war was all but over and the unit saw no further action in WW II. During WWII she had flown at least 27 combat missions before hostilities ceased (details of those missions are still being researched). The B-25s of No.18 squadron were turned over to the Dutch Government after WW II and she was moved to Java. She saw additional military action flying support missions for the Dutch against the Indonesians who were fighting for independence from Holland. From 1946 until Indonesian independence in 1949 No. 18 Squadron and its aircraft were in continuous use in various military operations as well as non-combat roles. She remained in the NEIAF pool from l945 until recalled in June 1948 when she was assigned to No. 16 Squadron of the NEIAF. No. 16 Squadron was formed on November 1, 1946 with 9 B-25s of both strafer and bomber variety. She had been received in Australia in 1944 with an 8-gun nose already installed. She was stationed out of Palembang, Indonesia until August 1, 1948 when No. 16 Squadron disbanded and the aircraft merged with No. 18 Squadron. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

NEIAF Base Assignments

In December 1949 after Indonesia won independence, she was turned over to the new Indonesian Air Force (AURI). She was in active use into the 1960s with the AURI. The B-25s with the AURI received minor modifications by the Indonesians during their tenure with this air force. She had her top turret removed shortly after WW II but she retained their rocket launchers and side gun packs. The main role for the AURI B-25s was for ground support. The Indonesian B-25s were very formidable weapons even in the new growing jet age. Even in the late l960s some of the B-25s could still be found at various bases in Indonesia but most were scrapped by the early l970s. She eventually was put on display at the Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base in Jawa Tengah, Indonesia. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

AURI Base Assignments

• Model: B-25J-15-NC
• Serial Number: 44-29023
• NAA Mfg. Number: 108-32298
• FAA Registration: None
• Mfg. Plant: Fairfax - Kansas City, Kansas
• Completion Date: August 16, 1944
• Delivery Date: August 19, 1944
• Status: Static
• Owner: Abdulrachman Saleh Air Force Base
• Location: Jawa Tengah, Indonesia
• Website:

This page represents the most current information we have on this aircraft. The information above was last updated 09/2019 with information provided by Bob Haney. Our goal is to have the most current and correct information possible. If you have any information about this aircraft not listed here or see anything posted in error, please contact the B-25 History Project so we may update our records.