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| USAAF 5th AF 8th FG 36th FS  USAAF c1943 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. William H. Melville, O-742880 (MIA / KIA, BR) Shanghai, China Crashed October 28, 1943 MACR 1006 Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra serial number 42-19959. Disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 8th Fighter Group (8th FG), 36th Fighter Squadron (36th FS) "The Flying Fiends". No known nose art or nickname. When lost, engine V1710-85 serial number 42-98044. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns serial numbers Kelsey Hayes 659092, Kelsey Hayes 661109, Savage 507518 and Colt 507410 plus Colt M4 37 mm Automatic Gun serial number 5946. Mission History On October 28, 1943 at 3:10pm took off from 5 Mile Drome (Ward) near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt. William H. Melville on an armed patrol bound for the Nadzab area. The four planes were flying in two plane pairs. The flight leader was P-39Q 42-19987 pilot 1st Lt Francis J. Pitonyak with wingman Melville. The second flight was led by P-39Q Airacobra pilot 1st Lt John J. Perkins with wingman P-39Q Airacobra 42-20031 pilot 2nd Lt George E. Fenn. During the flight, the formation experienced a violent weather front with 100% overcast with visibility above overcast of twenty miles, and flew along the coast at 20,000' to avoid the weather. At 4:10pm, Perkins spun out of formation and was the last time he saw the other three Airacobras. Perkins was able to recover from the spin at 9,000' roughly 25 miles north of Bulldog in a solid overcast from ground level to 18,000'. When he became lost, the flight had a minimum of two hours flight time. Unable to reach the other planes by radio, Returning alone he landed safely at 5:05pm at 5 Mile Drome (Ward). The other three Airacobras failed to return and were officially listed as Missing In Action: P-39Q 42-19987 pilot 1st Lt Francis J. Pitonyak (MIA, resolved), P-39Q 42-20031 pilot 2nd Lt George E. Fenn (MIA) and this aircraft. Search The next day on October 29, 1943, two P-39s searched for 2.5 hours for the missing aircraft along the coast from Port Moresby to Kermina [sic Kerema) and inland to the mountain range. That same day, four other P-39s patrolled the Bulldog area for the lost planes. On October 30, 1943 an A-24 Dive Bomber searched the mountains beyond Bulldog and the Kokoda Pass area. Also, a PBY Catalina searched for the missing planes along the coast to the Fly River but failed to find anything. On October 31, 1943 an A-24 with two P-39s continued to search, but found nothing. Wreckage Postwar, the wreckage of this Airacobra was reportedly located near Okavai (Otamai, Okavail) in an impact crater filled with a foot of water. During April 2019, a team from DPAA was scheduled to visit the crash site and search for the remains of the pilot. Recovery of Remains On July 3, 2020 the Department of Defense (DoD) announced Melville was accounted for. Memorials Melville was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Melville is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. After he was identified a rosette was added next to his name. On July 18, 2021 Melville was interred at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at section D site 105. References During late September 2014, Michael Claringbould claimed to visit the crash site of a Airacobra reported to be this aircraft and photographed the tail painted white with traces of "219" visible on both sides and a yellow and red horizontal stripe at the tip of the tail. Also, one of the cockpit doors. In fact, was the crash site of P-39N Airacobra 42-19041. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records William H. Melville USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra serial number 42-19959 "19959 (8th FG) lost Oct 28, 1943, New Guinea. MACR 1006" Missing Air Crew Report 1006 (MACR 1006) created October 30, 1943 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports October 1943 P-39Q Airacobra 42-19959 News "Missing Flier Listed Dead Lieutenant Lost in New Guinea" November 8, 1944 page 17 News "City Fighter Pilot Missing in Guinea" 1943 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William H. Melville FindAGrave - 2Lt William Henry Melville (news, photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt William Henry “Bill” Melville (photos, grave photos) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-39Q Airacobra 42-19959 Attack & Conquer page 313 notes this aircraft incorrectly as "42-19955" Flightpath Magazine "Cobra in the Clouds" by Michael Claringbould May-June 2015 Volume 26, No. 4 pages 32-36 details the loss of William H. Melville [sic crash site associated with P-39N Airacobra 42-19041] Facebook - William Henry Melville (tribute page) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Personnel Profile - 2d Lt William H Melville (photo) Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Release No: 20-090 "Pilot Accounted For From World War II (Melville, W.) July 7, 2020 "2nd Lt. William H. Melville, 20, killed during World War II, was accounted for July 3, 2020." Vimeo "The Funeral of 2nd Lt. William Henry Melville" July 16, 2021 Thanks to David C. Daniels 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
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