Pacific Wrecks

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

P-39 Airacobra Serial Number ?

USAAF
5th AF
8th FG
35th FS

Pilot 2nd Lt. William S. Gillen, O-667691 (MIA / KIA) NY
Crashed July 28, 1943
MACR none

Aircraft History
Built by Bell in Buffalo, New York. Delivered to the U.S. Army. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 8th Fighter Group, 35th Fighter Group. No known nickname or nose art.

Mission History
On July 28, 1943 took from Port Moresby on a test hop flight. This Airacobra was observed to crash into the sea off Paga Point at roughly 7:15am and the pilot did not bail out prior to the crash.

Memorials
Gillen was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

References
Attack and Conquer: The 8th Fighter Group in World War II pages 312
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William S. Gillen
FindAGrave - 2Lt William S Gillen

Contribute Information
Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned?
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
February 18, 2020

P-39

MIA
1 Missing

Interviews & Oral Histories