Mission History
On May 17, 1942 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby pilot 2nd Lt. Jessie M. Bland on a mission to intercept A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group).

During the air combat, Bland fired into the side of a Zeros, and saw his traces enter the enemy's engine and fuselage. He was then fired on by another Zero, and his engine failed but was able to ditch into the sea roughly 328' to 492' (100-150 meters) off Pyramid Point near Bootless Bay. During the ditching, Bland's head struck the gun site injuring him. On impact, the aircraft nosed over and sank into roughly 3' of water.

Fate of the Pilot
After the crash, villagers paddled out to rescued him. Afterwards, he was returned to base and returned to duty.

Wreckage
During the war, the machine guns were salvaged, but the 37mm canon was abandoned. The wreckage of this aircraft remains in situ underwater including the engine, wing and portions of the nose with the .30 caliber blast tubes with a dataplate attached.

Harumi Sakaguchi dived the site in 2004:
"The engine was still there on the engine not having been souvenired by divers. What was interesting was that way the engine was found, the plane was upside down."

Relatives
Bill Bland

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39F-1-BE Airacobra 41-7122
"7122 condemned Oct 31, 1944"
36th FS History, Frame 418
Combat (Fighter) Report Lt. Jesse M. Bland plane no. 7122
In May 1945, Bland died in a airplane crash while flying through a storm near Thomasville Georgia.
Sun-Journal, New Bern, NC "Capt. Jesse Bland Dies in Plane Crash Tuesday" March 22, 1945
"Returning home from a visit with his mother who is ill, Capt. Jesse Bland, 27, of the United States Army Air Corps, stationed at the Thomasville, Ga., Army Air Base, was killed in a crash landing about a mile from his home base Tuesday night between 9:30 and 10 o'clock, according to word received here Wednesday by the victim's mother, Mrs. Rosa J. Bland. There were few details available here Wednesday.
Captain Bland came to New Bern Tuesday, arriving about 1 o'clock and after a visit with his mother, he left returning to Thomasville about 4:30 o'clock Nearing his base he ran into a flash storm and crashed in an effort to put his plane down in a field on a plantation near Thomasville. The body was brought to New Bern for funeral service and burial. It was accompanied by a military escort but the time of arrival was not known here Wednesday. Mrs. Bland, who was the former Miss Eunice Williams of Tallahassee, Fla., accompanied by a sister, was to leave Thomasville Wednesday night for New Bern.
Captain Bland, one of New Bern's most popular young men, had been in the air corps for four years. After graduating from the New Bern High School he entered N. C. State college and after his junior year he enlisted in the air corps. He received his training as a fighter plane pilot and was commissioned at Summerville, Ala. After several months training in the states he was among the first American fliers to be sent to the south west Pacific area, He served for 17 months overseas and was awarded a number of decorations for distinguished service. He returned to the states more than a year ago and has been stationed at Thomasville."
Thanks to Edward Rogers for additional research and analysis

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Last Updated
November 30, 2024