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| USAAF 5th AF 475th FG 431st FS  D. Pennefather 1973 |
Pilot 1st Lt.
Donno C. Bellows, O-726736 (survived) Cerro Gordo, IA Crashed September 13, 1943 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 1348. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38H-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-66837. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG) "Satan's Angels", 431st Fighter Squadron (431st FS) "Hades". No known nickname, nose art. Tail code unknown, red in the range of 110–139. Mission History On September 13, 1943 took off from Port Moresby piloted by 1st Lt. Donno C. Bellows on a mission against Wewak. Returning, this aircraft crash landed near Dumpu (prior to Dumpu Airfield being constructed) and the Ramu River. Pilot Bellows was unhurt in the crash. Also lost was P-38H Lightning 42-66749 piloted Lt Knox (MIA). Fate of the Pilot The following day, Bellows was rescued by Allied ground forces and returned to duty. Wreckage The nose section abandoned near Dumpu, in the early 1970s. The rest of the aircraft appears to have been removed during the war, or otherwise scrapped more recently. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Donno C. Bellows USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38H-5-LO Lightning 42--66837 "66837 (475th FG, 431st FS) crashlanded Ramu Valley Sep 13, 1943" Microfilm 1065 13 frame 757 mentions one mile east of the Ramu River near the headwaters of the Puri Creek at Lat 6.13 Long 146.00, but does not specify if this is where the pilot landed, or the location of the wreckage of the aircraft. PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-38H Lightning 42-66837 American Fighter Aces - Lawrence F. O’Neill an Ace with Kearby's Thunderbolts by John Guttman mentions September 13, 1943 mission Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated March 7, 2025
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