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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF 13th AF 18th FG 70th FS  USAAF 1942 |
Pilot Major Waldon Williams, O-399598 C.O. 70th Fighter Squadron (MIA / KIA) UT MIA April 7, 1943 MACR 603 Aircraft History Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-39K-1-BE Airacobra serial number 42-4274. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South Pacific (SOPAC) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned 13th Air Force (13th AF), 18th Fighter Group (18th FG), 70th Fighter Squadron (70th FS). No known nose art or nickname. When lost engine V-1710-68 serial number 42-135016. Weapon makers and serial numbers not listed in Missing Air Crew Report 603 (MACR 603). Mission History On April 7, 1943 took off from Fighter 2 on Guadalcanal piloted by Major Waldon Williams, Commanding Officer (C.O.) 70th Fighter Squadron (70th FS) leading a flight of Airacobras on a scramble of every available fighter to intercept the incoming Japanese planes during Operation I-Go Sakusen. The weather was ceiling and visibility unlimited (CAVU). At 3:45pm while flying at 12,000' Major Williams peeled off, released his drop tank, and went into a vertical dive and was last seen going down at 6,000'. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). It is unclear why his wing man or the rest of the flight did not follow him down as the rest of his flight failed to make contact with the enemy. Likely, Williams saw enemy aircraft and dove to engage them but was shot down. A6M2 Zeros from Junyō claimed a single P-39 as a certain aerial victory. Memorials Williams was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. Williams earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Spanish Fork City Cemetery in Spanish Fork, UT at plot 05-35-12. The marker reads: "In memory of Maj. Waldon Williams U.S. Army Air Corps May 10, 1918–April 7, 1943 Lost his life in the Pacific Area Although his body is over there sweet memory lingers here." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-39K-1-BE Airacobra 42-4274 "4274 (70th FS, 18th FG) lost Jul 4, 1943, Solomon Islands. MACR 603" Missing Air Crew Report 603 (MACR 603) created September 16, 1943 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Waldon Williams FindAGrave - Maj Waldon Williams (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Maj Waldon Williams (photo, memorial marker photo) X Attack of I-Operation by Richard Dunn 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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 P-39  MIA 1 Missing |
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