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  P-400 Airacobra Serial Number BW105  
USAAF
5th AF
35th FG
41st FS

Pilot  1st Lt Herbert H. Hill O-424950 (MIA / KIA) AR
Crashed  November 22, 1942 at 10:20am
MACR  16288

Aircraft History
Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Assigned Royal Air Force (RAF) serial number BW117. Painted in a three-color camouflage scheme. Instead, delivered to the U.S. Army. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 35th Fighter Group, 41st Fighter Squadron. Nose number unknown. No known nose art or nickname. When lost, engine serial number 4879.

Mission History
On November 22, 1942 took off 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 1st Lt Herbert H. Hill on a mission against Buna. Over the target, shot down and crashed near Buna Airfield. Hill was seen to parachute out over the middle of the airfield and was presumed to have been taken prisoner or executed.

Memorials
Hill was officially declared dead on December 13, 1945. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing.

References
Joe Baugher "Airacobra I for RAF, P-400"
Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) 16288 was created retroactively and incorrectly lists the aircraft type as a "P-40"
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Herbert H. Hill
FindAGrave - 1Lt Herbert H Hill (tablets of the missing photo)
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39 (P-400) Airacobra BW 105
Thanks to Edward Rogers for research and analysis

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Last Updated
November 20, 2021

 

Technical Info
P-400

MIAMIA
1 Missing
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