|  |
|
| |
|
| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
| Chronology | Locations | Aircraft | Ships | Submit Info | How You Can Help | Donate |
|
| USAAF 5th AF 475th FG 433rd FS  475th FG c1943   Mark Reichman 2007  LoopPNG 2017 |
Pilot 1st Lt William G. Jeakle O-664189 (survived) Detroit, MI Crashed December 18, 1943 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 1367. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38H-5-LO Lighting serial number 42-66856. 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", 433rd Fighter Squadron (433rd FS) "Possum". Nicknamed "Regina Coeli" (in double quotation marks) meaning "Queen of Heaven" in Latin. Nose Number 179. The propeller spinners were painted blue and outlined in white at the rear with an olive drab tip. Assigned to pilot Captain Joseph T. McKeon who painted four Japanese flags on the nose indicating his aerial victory claims. On September 24, 1943 took off piloted by Captain Joseph T. McKeon on a mission over Finschafen. During air combat, he claimed a Hamp [sic Ki-43] shot down shot down that was officially credited as an aerial victory. He also claimed a Hamp [sic Ki-43] damaged. On October 15, 1943 took off piloted by Captain Joseph T. McKeon on a scramble to intercept an incoming formation of Japanese planes attacking Allied shipping in Oro Bay. During air combat, he claimed a Val shot down that was officially credited as an aerial victory. On November 2, 1943 damaged in air combat over Rabaul. Mission History On December 18, 1943 took off from North Borio Airfield (Dobodura No. 15) near Dobodura piloted by 1st Lt William G. Jeakle on a fighter sweep over Arawe. Before take off, Jeakle had suffered a minor taxi accident in his regularly assigned P-38 and switched to this plane for the mission. Over the target, Jeakle spotted an enemy fighter an prepared to attack when P-38 Lightning piloted by 1st Lt. Austin K. Neely accidentally collided with this plane. During the mid-air collision, Jeakle's right boom was damaged and he was last seen spiraling at 9,000' near the Pulie River roughly 15 miles north of Arawe. No parachute was observed. Neely's plane sustained propeller and wing damage but landed safely at Dobodura. Relatives William Jeakle adds: "My worst day was December the 18th 1943. About this time i peeled right off behind a Zero. Got him... he was going to be deader than hell. I looked back to see if my guys are with me. Yeah, the boys were still behind me. Yeah, Pete is back there, the boys are back there. I look to the side, and 'oh my god' there is a P-38 staring me right in the face - right there. Staring me right in the face. And I shoved everything forward and just dumped everything. And I was hit. It felt like a Mac Truck. As soon as I was hit, I lost all control. Broke.. what he did, the wing of his plane cut through the right boom, and cut everything off, all my controls. I had no pedals, nothing at all. So the next thing I said was 'get outta that thing. I pulled the canopy, tripped the canopy. Which pulls pins back here to release the canopy, and it went back alright." Fates of the Crew Jeakle managed to bail out at landed in the jungle unhurt. After hiding, he made his way to the coast. After eleven days behind enemy lines, he spotted by a PBY Catalina that he signaled and landed to rescue him. On December 28, 1943 Jeakle returned to his squadron. Nobody was happier that the distraught 1st Lt. Austin K. Neely who caused him to crash. After rest and recuperation, Jeakle returned to duty on January 6, 1944. Wreckage On April 21, 2007 the wreckage of this P-38 was located by Mark Reichman and his family. Mark Reichman adds: "With the help of 5 nationals, my son, daughter and I came across a P-38 in the bush of West New Britain up the Pulie river. The nose cone on the right side had the name: 'Regina Coeli'. Inside the right wheel well there is a Lockheed emblem with serial number: 2412 065 Assem[bly] No: 230100-500R The engines are intact with cowlings so we unable to get engine serial numbers. What we could see of the engines they are in good nick with some paint looking like new. The fuselage is totally destroyed although one foot pedal and throttle control is laying around. Some gauge faces. The five guns are there. We did not notice the fuselage area directly in back of the nose cone as it may have been all mangled." Relatives Suzanne Jeakle (granddaughter of W. Glen Jeakle) "I just minutes ago learned that you found my grandfathers plane. We are very excited about this news. Its particularly poignant as we are still grieving his loss even though he has been gone 2.5 years now in 2004. My grandfather did extensive interviews that are on DVD, including one for the History Channel. At the time of his death he was living in Muncie, IN and had lived there for about 30 years. For the bulk of his life following the war he worked as an automotive engineer and was closely involved in the development of important technology such as the limited-slip differential. He had two children and 4 grandchildren. He lived to see two of his 4 great-grandchildren. In his 60s he became active in the 475th Fighter Group." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William G. Jeakle Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - P-38H 42-66856 Incorrectly states MIA [sic crashed] December 18, 1943. RAAF card has same details. USAF Historical Study No. 85 USAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II Alphabetical: McKeon, Joseph T. page 129 (PDF page 136) Stars & Bars (1995) page 444 (McKeon, Joseph Thomas) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-38H Lightning 42-66856 Possum, Clover & Hades (2004) page 104 248th Hike Sentai: A Japanese “Hard luck” Fighter Unit Part 3 by Richard Dunn Thanks to Suzanne Jeakle, John Stanaway, John Douglas and Mark Reichman 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 April 28, 2025
|
 P-38  Photo Archive |
| Discussion Forum | Daily Updates | Reviews | Museums | Interviews & Oral Histories |
|
