15 FEBRUARY 1945
First Lieutenant John R. Dickinson, pilot of "Playmate Four Two", departed Morotai at 0500 arriving at Balison Island, 150 miles North of the Celebes at 0910. He started a parallel search in the vicinity of 05°08'N, 124°00'E. At 1330, he received a message stating that a P-38 reconnaissance plane was in trouble North of Talaud Island. Lieutenant Dickinson contacted the Snafu pilot by radio and advised him to land his plane or bail out over the bay on the Eastern shore of Talaud where the water would be smooth enough to land the rescue ship. The P-38 pilot was undecided whether to bail out or ditch. At 1420, Lieutenant Dickinson sighted the P-38 circling. The pilot then turned his ship over on its back and bailed out, landing in the sheltered water of the bay. Lieutenant Dickinson landed his ship near by and effected the rescue of Lieutenant Martin B. Knox, 17th Photo Squadron, 4th Photo Group, at 1430. The rescued pilot was unhurt and was returned to Morotai at 1630.

Lieutenant Knox stated that he was on a photographic mission and had taken 150 good pictures before the weather closed in. He became lost and was running low on gas when he elected to leave the plane as he could not make his base.

AIRCRAFT TYPE: OA-10A*  
USAAF SERNO: 44-33879 (CV-330)**
CALLSIGN:  "Playmate 42" 
CREW: (Pilot) 1st Lt. John R. Dickinson; (Co-pilot) 1st Lt. Frank Rauschkolb
FLIGHT LENGTH: 11 hours 30 minutes