Pacific Wrecks

Missing In Action (MIA)

Prisoners Of War (POW)

Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)

Chronology

P-47D Thunderbolt Serial Number ?

USAAF
5th AF
58th FG
310th FS

Pilot 2nd Lt. Herman J. Bissonnette, O-676729 (MIA / KIA) MA
Crashed December 28, 1943
MACR none

Aircraft History
Built by Republic. Delivered to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-47D Thunderbolt serial number unknown. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 58th Fighter Group, 310th Fighter Squadron. No known nickname or nose art.

Mission History
On December 28, 1943 took off 2nd Lt. Herman J. Bissonnette on a mission and crashed into Idlers Bay off Roku to the west of Port Moresby. According to locals, the pilot was severely wounded in the crash and rescued by locals, but died immediately afterwards.

Wreckage
Over the decades, most of the wreck has been scrapped, only the engine, and larger pieces still remain, in shallow water.

Justin Taylan reports:
"During 2003, I snorkeled over this wreck. Only the engine and propeller hub were still there, plus a few other bits of wreckage."

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

References
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-47 Thunderbolt (Miscellaneous)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Herman J. Bissonnette
FindAGrave - 2Lt Herman J Bissonnette (tablets of the missing)

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Last Updated
November 8, 2019

P-47

MIA
1 Missing

3-8m

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