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Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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USAAF 5th AF 49th FG 9th FS ![]() USAAF c1943 |
Pilot Lt. Col. David A. Campbell, O-392746 C.O. 49th FG (MIA / KIA) Plattsburg, OH MIA June 3, 1944 MACR 6060 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Delivered to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38J-15-LO Lightning serial number 43-28516. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines V-1710-91 serial number A-045543 and V-1710-89 serial number A-045066. Weapon serial numbers not listed in Missing Air Crew Report 6060 (MACR 6060). Mission History On June 3, 1944 at 8:30am took off from Hollandia Airfield piloted by Lt. Col. David A. Campbell as one of nineteen P-38s from the 49th Fighter Group on a mission to escort B-25 Mitchells over Babo. Weather was scattered cumulus clouds with 7/10 coverage from 2,000' to 8'000' with good visibility. Campbell was leading "Blue Flight" with wingman Major Robert V. McHale and second element 1st Lt. Alfred B. Lewelling with his wingman 1st Lt. Huard H. Norton. Over the target between 11:30am to 11:45am at an altitude of 8,000', the P-38s spotted six enemy planes below flying at approximately 1,000'. The formation released their drop tanks and the formation made a steep dive to intercept. During the dive, be became separated from his wingman Major Robert V. McHale and second element 1st Lt. Alfred B. Lewelling and 1st Lt. Huard H. Norton never located or rejoined him due to clouds. After the dive, a sprawling dogfight ensued between the P-38s with approximately 15-20 A6M Zeros and Ki-43 Oscars. Two other 49th FG P-38 pilots saw Col. Campbell chasing an enemy plane into a cloud, but nobody saw either plane come out. Another pilot saw plane parts falling out from the bottom of the cloud, and suspect an aerial collision. When Campbell failed to return from the mission he was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Possibly, Campbell might have bailed out near Kasira and was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner Of War (POW) and later executed. Search Wreckage Memorials References Contribute
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![]() P-38 ![]() Map June 3, 1944 ![]() MIA 1 Missing |
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