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USAAF 5th AF 8th FG 80th FS |
Pilot F/O Willis F. Evers, T-001043 (MIA / KIA)
NB Crashed November 2, 1943 MACR 1178 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 322-3312. Delivered to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38G-13-LO Lightning serial number 43-2203. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 8th Fighter Group, 80th Figher Squadron. No known nickname or noseart. When lost, engines V-1710-55 and V-1710-51 serial numbers 42-29464 and 42-93242. Mission History On November 2, 1943 took off from Kiriwina Airfield piloted by F/O Willis F. Evers on a mission to escort B-25s over Rabaul. Inbound to the target, the weather was closing in over the target and rain squalls and heavy clouds. Evers was flying as wing man for element leader Schriber in the first flight. This P-38 was last sighted at 1:30pm over Rabaul by Louis Schriber, before an engagement with 70-80 enemy fighters. Missing Air Crew Report 1178 lists his loss location as south of Ralauna Point on the southern coast of Blanche Bay. Schriber noted in Missing AIr Crew Report 1178 (MACR 1178) page 9: "The last time I saw F/O Evers was when we dove into some enemy fighters. After this attack which took place at approximately 4,000', I could not see F/O Evers anywhere." Search No specific search was ever made for this aircraft, aside from routine flights by Allied bombers and fighters. Wreckage This P-38 impacted at high speed causing an impact crater with only a few pieces of wreckage left on the surface. The engines and cockpit section were buried 12-15' into the ground. This crash site was a high speed impact crater, with a few pieces of wreckage on the surface and the remainder of the aircraft including the engines and cockpit section buried 12-15' underground. Recovery of Remains During August 1984, CILHI recovered remains from this crash site. During 1986 the crash site was again visited by CILHI and excavated further, coded CIL 0082-86. Pieces of wreckage were recovered to Kokopo. Last Updated
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![]() P-38 ![]() Map Nov 2, 1943 ![]() 1 Missing Resolved |
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