44th Fighter Squadron (44th FS) "Vampire Squadron"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 13th Air Force (13th AF), 18th Fighter Group (18th FG)

Background
The 44th Fighter Squadron "Vampire Squadron" (44th FS) was assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 13th Air Force (13th AF), 18th Fighter Group (18th FG). Operated the P-40 Warhawk and later the P-38 Lightning.

Wartime History
On July 15, 1943 two flights from the squadron took off from Fighter 2 on Guadalcanal but only seven P-40s reached the patrol area over Rendova. Over the radio, an incoming Japanese air raid of G4M1 Bettys escorted by Zeros were intercepted in air combat over Vella Lavella with U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) VMF-213. Lost is P-40 Warhawk pilot Murray (MIA).

On December 22, 1943 reorganized and redesignated the 44th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine (TE) indicating "Twin Engine".

During May 1944 the squadron began equipping with P-38J Lightnings in aluminum finish with greater range.

On June 5, 1944 the squadron took off from Fighter 2 on a dive bombing mission against Poporang Island. During the mission, P-38J Lightning 43-28570 pilot Major Peyton S. Mathis, Jr. experienced engine trouble and returned with one engine out. As Mathis approached to land, he disappeared behind the hills to the southwest. At 10:35am, he crashed into a ravine roughly six miles to the east. When this aircraft failed to return, he was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). During 2012, this aircraft was rediscovered by a resident on Guadalcanal in a swampy area behind Lau Valley. In November 2013 a team from JPAC conducted an investigation and recovered the remains of Mathis. Afterwards, the largely intact P-38 was raised from the swamp and salvaged by Kurt Markwarth and Anders Markwarth. In July 2017 shipped to Australia for restoration.

On November 10, 1944 lost was P-38J 44-23397 pilot 2nd Lt. James R. Glenny on a dive bombing msission west of Leyte and went Missing In Action (MIA).

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 200-201 [PDF pages 212-213]
Vampire Squadron: The Saga of the 44th Fighter Squadron (1985) by William H. Starke
44th Fighter Squadron Tribute Page via Wayback Machine July 26, 2008