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| USAAF 10th AF 51st FG 449th FS  USAAF 1943 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Thomas D. Harmon, O-732545 (survived) Rensselaer, IN Crashed October 30, 1943 MACR 1054 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 222-7815. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38G-10-LO Lightning serial number 42-13415. Disassembled and shipped overseas to China-Burma-India (CBI) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 10th Air Force (10th AF), 51st Fighter Group (51st FG), 449th Fighter Squadron (449th FS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost engine V-1710-55 serial number 42-93299 and V-1710-51 serial number 42-28938. Armed with 20mm cannon maker unknown serial number 52402 and four .50 caliber machine guns makers unknown serial numbers 373286, 314463, 312949 and 314868. Mission History On October 30, 1043 took off from Ling Ling Airfield (Lingling) piloted by 2nd Lt. Thomas D. Harmon as one of nine P-38s on a course of 43° from Hengyang on a mission to dive bomb docks five miles southwest of Kiukiang (Chiuchiang, Jiujiang). Weather was five miles of visibility with haze. Over the target at 9:30am, the formation dive bombed from 8,000' then were intercepted by enemy fighters. Harmon claimed two enemy planes shot down. At 11:10am, last seen by P-38 pilot 1st Lt. Robert B. Schultz who saw him bail out over a small lake south of Kiukiang. Protecting him, Schultz prevented an enemy aircraft from strafing him as he descended and saw him alive when he reached the ground. Rescue Harmon landed with minor injuries and saved some of the silk from his parachute. He was aided by Chinese Communist forces, who helped him to reach friendly lines. A month later, he returned to duty. When he returned to the United States, the parachute silk was used as material for his wife, Elsie Knox to use as material for her wedding dress. Memorials Harmon passed away on March 15, 1990 after a heart attack at age 70 in Los Angeles, CA and was cremated. Relatives Kristin Harmon (daughter) Kelly Harmon (daughter) Mark Harmon (son) References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Thomas D. Harmon Previously, Harmon bailed out of B-25D "Little Butch" 41-29964 on April 9, 1943 USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38G-10-LO Lightning 42-13415 "13415 (51st FG) lost Oct 30, 1043. MACR 1054" Missing Air Crew Report 1054 (MARC 1054) USAF Aerial Victory Credits - Thomas D. Harmon Pilots Also Pray (1944) by Thomas D. Harmon FindAGrave - Tom Harmon (photos) 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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