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| USAAF 5th AF 35th FG 41st FS |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Jesse R. "Toughy" Hague, O-425516 (MIA / KIA) Dallas County, Iowa Crashed August 2, 1942 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Assigned Royal Air Force (RAF) serial number BX232 and painted in a three-color camouflage scheme. Instead, delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-400 Airacobra serial number BX232. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 35th Fighter Group (35th FG), 41st Fighter Squadron (41st FS). No known nose art or nickname. Mission History On August 2, 1942 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt. Jesse R. "Toughy" Hague with two other Airacobras: P-400 piloted by Lt Jack Wilson and P-400 AP290 piloted by Dore on a mission to escort B-26 Marauders from the 22nd Bombardment Group (22nd BG) bombing Buna. Over the target, damaged by A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group). Hague managed to sucessfully ditch into the sea near Ambasi Mission at Ambasi and swam ashore unhurt. Fate of the Pilot After swimming ashore at Ambasi, Hague joined a group of downed American aviators and Australian Army spotters. Later that same day, the group was joined by Anglican missionaries Reverend James Benson, May Hayman and Mavis Parkins from Gona Anglican Mission. Together, the group attempted to escape inland but were found near Dobudura No. 2. On August 8, 1942 Haugh was last seen by Reverend James Benson firing his Tommy gun at the approaching Japanese while attempting to lead them away from the rest of the group. He was never seen again, and presumably caught and killed by the Japanese. After the war the graves of those killed in this incident were found, and their remains recovered. Hauge was never found and is still listed as Missing In Action (MIA). He is not known to be a Japanese Prisoner Of War (POW). Likely, his remains were buried in an isolated burial where he was buried by Japanese or local people. Memorials Hague was officially declared dead December 17, 1945. He earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hague is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Hague also has a memorial marker at Oakdale Cemetery in Adel, Iowa. Wreckage Postwar, this Airacobra was listed by a RAAF Searcher Team and "Located shot down in sea near Ambasi Mission" but incorrectly identified it as "P-39 Airacobra 400232" [sic, this is a Vultee BT-13 Valiant serial number] and should read P-400 BX232. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Jesse R. Hague date of birth listed as 17 sic 1918 Joe Baugher "Airacobra I for RAF, P-400" History of the 41st Fighter Squadron Chapter 2 - 1 May to Sept. 30, 1942 "2 August, 1943: Lt. Hague was shot down. However, no one saw him go down. He reported in the next day, August 3rd by radio from Ambadi [sic] that he was OK, and that he dragged a dead Jap with him." Kodochosho, Tainan Kōkūtai August 2, 1942 [Action Report, Tainain Air Group] pages 211-212 RAAF Survey of Aircraft Wreckage, Papua and New Guinea page ? "#189 | 08.16-148.12 | Ambasi Mission | USAC Airacobra P-39 400232 [sic P-400 BX232] | Located shot down in sea near Ambasi Mission" PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39 (P-400) Airacobra BX 232 Prisoner's Base and Home Again (1957) pages 35, 37-38 "After about a minute, I heard more firing, again over to the right. Then several times I heard Joe’s [Jesse R. Hague] tommy gun roar out, each time getting father and farther away." Eagles of the Southern Sky (2012) page 124 incorrectly states Hague bailed out and his fate is unknown American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Jesse R. Hague FindAGrave - 1Lt Jesse Robert Hague (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Jesse Robert Hague (memorial marker photo) Thanks to Edward Rogers 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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