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| USAAF 13th AF 18th FG 12th FS  USAAF c1944 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Merton L. Orick, O-431153 (MIA / KIA) Phoenix, AZ MIA December 23, 1942 MACR 607 Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39D-1-BE Airacobra serial number 41-38295. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South Pacific and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 13th Air Force (13th AF), 18th Fighter Group (18th FG), 12th Fighter Squadron (12th FS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost engine and weapon serial numbers unknown. Mission History On December 23, 1942 at 11:45am took off from Fighter 2 (Kukum) on Guadalcanal piloted by 1st Lt. Merton L. Orick as part of a Airacobra escort for a formation of B-17 Flying Fortress up "The Slot" in the Solomon Islands to the northwest bound for New Georgia. Inbound to the target, the weather was poor. This aircraft was lost somewhere between the Russell Islands and New Georgia. No one in the formation saw him leave the flight. When it failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials Orick was officially declared dead on December 12, 1945. He earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Merton L. Orick USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39D-1-BE Airacobra 41-38295 "38295 (12th FS, 18th FG) lost Nov 23, 1942, Solomon Islands. MACR 607" 347th Fighter Group Advanced Echelon APO 709 "Preliminary Intelligence Summary of Operations of Army Fighter Planes at Cactus - December 1, 1942 to February 17, 1943" February 21, 1943 (Page 1) "12/23 – P-39 – Force landing in water between Russells and New Georgia – Lt. Orick - missing" Missing Air Crew Report 607 (MACR 607) created August 25, 1943 (Page 2) "6. Aircraft: Type, model and series: P-400", this serial number is P-39D News "Lieut. Merton Orick Loses His Life In Solomons Battle" February 15, 1943 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Merton L. Orick FindAGrave - 1Lt Merton Leon Orick (news, tablets of the missing) Thanks to Edward Rogers for research and analysis 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-39  MIA 1 Missing |
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