WW2 P-38 Pilot Reunites With His Plane Buried In Papua New Guinea
YouTube / Jon Bowman
A Heartwarming WWII Reunion
A scrapped and buried P-38 Lightning, lost in Papua New Guinea after WWII, found its way back to the skies thanks to the efforts of WestPac Restorations in Colorado. Discovered and shipped for repairs, the fighter plane—known as “White 33″—was undergoing its final touches when fate intervened.
Frank Royal, a WWII veteran and former P-38 pilot, visited WestPac and revealed to owner Bill Klaers that he had flown P-38s during the war. Remarkably, they discovered that Royal had piloted the very aircraft being restored.
By 2015, White 33 was 90% restored, and the following year, the National Museum of World War II Aviation announced its return to airworthiness. Frank Royal attended the celebration, witnessing the rebirth of his old companion.
A fitting reunion for a pilot and his warbird—a story straight out of history.
