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| USAAF 5th AF 8th FG 80th FS  USAAF May 1943   Charlie Wintawa 2004 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Howard B. Donaldson, O-746061 (MIA / KIA) Tacoma, WA Crashed December 22, 1943 MACR 16251 Pilot History Howard Banks Donaldson was born July 6, 1921 in Tacoma, Pierce County, Washington State. His parents were J. Henry Donaldson from Arkansas and his mother was Ruth Donaldson from Minnesota. During 1940 U.S. census, the family lived at 3105 N. 20th Street, Tacoma, WA. He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as an aviation cadet and attended flight school. During May 1943, graduated from Merced Army Flying School 43E, Squadron Three. Donaldson earned his wings and was commissioned and a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-746061 and was sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank at a cost of $98,990.00 using funds F-1 for Army Air Force Order Number AC-24636. On September 9, 1943 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38J-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-67142. The next day assigned project number 96198-R. On September 12, 1942 flown to Alhambra Airfield. Afterwards, disassembled and shipped overseas to "LEFT" (5th Air Force) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 8th Fighter Group (8th FG), 80th Fighter Squadron (80th FS) "Headhunters". No known nickname or nose art. Wartime History On December 22, 1943 at 7:20am took off from North Borio Airfield (Dobodura No. 15) piloted by 2nd Lt. Howard B. Donaldson as one of seventeen Lightnings (3 x P-38G Lightnings, 9 x P-38H Lightnings and 5 P-38J Lightnings) on a mission to escort B-25D Mitchells from the 345th Bombardment Group (345th BG) over Boram Airfield near Wewak. The weather was overcast at 7,000' to 8,000' with light rain over the entire area. This P-38 was flying as no. 4 element in the rear of the formation. This P-38 was flying as no. 4 element in the rear of the formation. Over the target, the formation was intercepted by enemy fighters including Ki-43 Oscars and Ki-61 Tonys from the 68th Hiko Sentai (68th Flying Regiment) and 78th Hiko Sentai (78th Flying Regiment). During air combat, this P-38 sustained damage to one engine causing it to smoke. Donaldson feathered the damaged engine and was escorted homeward. During the return flight, the right engine suddenly burst into flames, causing this Lightning to nose over from 1.000' and crashed into a swamp roughly 35 miles south of Wewak near the northern bank of the Sepik River. When Donaldson failed to return from the mission, he was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). This aircraft was officially condemned the day of the mission. Also lost was P-38H 42-66631 (MIA). Wreckage This P-38 crashed into a kunai grass swamp near Chimbian to the north of the Sepik River. The wreckage includes portions of the tail booms and both vertical stabilizer with the partial serial number stencil in yellow "67142" on the right stabilizer and "7142" on the left stabilizer. On June 14, 2003, this crash site was visited by Robert Jarrett / Classic Jets Museum during the recovery of P-38H 42-66534. Memorials Donaldson was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Donaldson is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. He also has a memorial marker at the Tacoma Mausoleum in Tacoma, WA. Relatives SueAnn Turner (niece of Donaldson) "I am so very grateful to you. I will begin to collect the various things I have of Uncle Buddy and try to get more info about his life. I have his army air force picture. I am so excited. I have heard my Mom tell me my whole life how fantastic Buddy was and this makes me feel closer to him. I was very close with my folks and thought that by doing ancestry research I could honor their memory. But this is way more than I ever expected!" References Merced Army Flying School Yearbook 1943 page 92 Aviation Cadets Class 43-E, Squadron Three (photo) Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - P-38J 42-67142 8th Fighter Group Casualty Records Dec 22/43 "Howard B. Donaldson, 2nd Lt., 0746061 3105 N. 20th St, Tacoma, Wash, KIA (Number 4 man in flt that was jumped by enemy planes. He received hits, pulled forward with one engine smoking, started home with escort, flying one engine feathered at about 1000 ft. when other engine burst in flames. Plane went straight in on a marshy plain about 35 miles S Se of Wewak)" Missing Air Crew Report 16251 (MACR 16251) lists aircraft as "P-38" and does not list the serial number and was likely created retroactively CILHI Pending Cases Australian New Guinea (Search Area 73 - 77 - 78 & 81) P-38J 42-67142 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Howard B. Donaldson FindAGrave - 2Lt Howard B Donaldson (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Howard B Donaldson (memorial marker) FindAGrave - James Henry Donaldson (father's grave with memorial marker photo) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-38H Lightning 42-67142 Attack & Conquer pages 135-136, 267 Appendix II: J. Donaldson P-38J #42-67142", 313 "Appendix V: 2nd Lt. Howard B. Donaldson (80th) P-38 #42-22640 [sic]", "He was the number 4 man in the rear flight that was jumped by Tonys on the mission to the Wewak area. He received hits and was escorted home with one engine feathered and smoking. The other engine burst into flames and the P-38 went straight in from 1,000 feet into a marshy plain about 35 miles southeast of Wewak, New Guinea." Classic Wings "Lighting On The Sepik Plains" by Robert Jarrett & Margaret Jarrett, Issue 43, June 2004 pp 36-37 Note, Missing Air Crew Report 5367 (MACR 5367) and Missing Air Crew Report 6213 (MACR 6213) incorrectly list P-38J Lighting 42-67142 as piloted by 2nd Lt. Robert P. Richardson, O758071 (MIA) from the 9th AF, 367th FG, 392nd FS MIA May 19, 1944 over Manston, England returning from a bomber escort mission. Both these MACR 5367 and 6213 are therefore incorrect and Richardson was lost in a different aircraft. American Air Museum in Britain - 42-67142 P-38 Lightning [serial number incorrect] Thanks to SueAnn Turner for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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 P-38  Photo Archive  Lat 3.59 Lon 143.30  MIA 1 Missing |
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