Aircraft History
Built by Grumman. Delivered to the U. S. Navy (USN) as F4F-4 Wildcat bureau number unknown.

Wartime History
Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), squadron unknown. No known nickname or nose art. This Wildcat likely operated from Guadalcanal.

Mission History
This Wildcat took off from Guadalcanal and crashed to the east in the jungle. The fate of the pilot is unknown.

Wreckage
The Wildcat crashed in the jungle near Koso village and Hailalua village near the Tenaru River inland from the north coast of Guadalcanal.

During November 2016, a team from Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) conducted an investigation at this crash site as a potential Missing In Action (MIA) site. An archaeological excavation was made by clearing the vegetation to ground level of an area roughly 90' x 90' into rectangular areas defined by survey pegs. Screening stations were used to screen soil and sandbags to secure edges and pathways. The team camped nearby and used a helicopter for site access. Afterwards, the remaining wreckage including the engine with one propeller blade and other small pieces of wreckage was buried at the edge of the site in a burial pit.

References
Thanks to Donna Esposito for additional information

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Last Updated
September 25, 2024