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  P-38L-1-LO Lightning Serial Number 44-24889  
USAAF
5th AF
475th FG
431st FS

Pilot  1st Lt. Enrique Provencio, O-756020 (MIA / KIA / BR)
Crashed  December 25, 1944 at 11:00am
MACR  11684

Aircraft History
Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 422-5893. At the factory, completed with an unpainted aluminum finish with olive drab on the upper nose and inner sides of the engine nacelles for anti-glare. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38L-1-LO Lightning serial number 44-24889. Disassembled and shipped overseas 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 nose art or nickname. When lost, engines V-1710-91 and V-1710-89 serial numbers A-056818 and A-057824. Weapon serial numbers noted in MACR 11684 (MACR 11684).

Mission History
On December 25, 1944 took off from Dulag Airfield on Leyte piloted by 1st Lt. Enrique Provencio as one of fifteen P-38s on a fighter sweep and escort mission for B-24 Liberators bombing Mabalacat Field near Clark Field. The formation arrived over the target at 21,000' and were intercepted by 20 enemy fighters that attacked from two directions.

After the initial pass, P-38L 44-24846 piloted by Koeck was in a low descending turn. Other pilots believed they heard Lt. Provencio tell him to bail out. Afterwards, he radioed that he was trying to get as far from Clark Field as he could then would abandon his plane and bail out. When this plane failed to return, it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost were P-38L 44-24846 pilot Koeck (MIA) and P-38L 44-248?? pilot 1st Lt. Floyd H. Fulkerson, Jr.

Recovery of Remains
Postwar, his remains were recovered and transported to the United States for burial.

Memorials
Provencio was officially declared dead the day of the mission. On October 12, 1948 he was buried at Fort Bliss National Cemetery at section B site 290A.

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38L-1-LO Lightning 44-24889
"24889 (475th FG, 431st FS) MIA Dec 25, 1944. MACR 11684"
Missing Air Crew Report 11684 (MACR 11684)
El Paso Times "1LT Enrique Provencio Obituary" October 10, 1948
FindAGrave - 1LT Enrique Provencio (grave photos, obituary)

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Last Updated
December 25, 2024

 

Tech Info
P-38

MIA
MIA
1 Missing
Resolved
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