Re: Looking for info on Lt. Richard dennis 49th FG, 8th FS
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 10:06 am
"On December 18, 1st Lt. Richard H. Dennis of the 8th Sq failed to return from patrol over Buna. His home was in East Cleveland, Ohio." 49th Fighter Group History
Pacific Wrecks webpage on Lt. Richard H. Dennis
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-40/dennis.html
I have worked on this case for several weeks and none of my colleagues have been unable to come up with anything that is remotely conclusive about the loss of 1st Lt. Richard H. Dennis on 18 December 1942.
My contacts who have access to Japanese records have exhausted about 90% of official & captured Japanese documents for 18 December 1942. None of the Japanese Naval Air Force (JNAF) records make any mention of an encounter with USAAF or RAAF fighters on this date. Consensus seems to be that the only JNAF left to eliminate is the 582nd Kokutai (Air Group). Ki-43 fighters ("Oscars") of the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) were not operating over New Guinea at this time.
Records of Japanese Naval Air Groups examined
204th Naval Air Group - no contacts
252nd Naval Air Group - no contacts
253rd Naval Air Group - no contacts
582nd Naval Air Group - inconclusive
Japanese Monograph 122
I feel that your best bet is to request a copy of Lt. Dennis' "Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)" from the US Army if you have not already done so. There is a good chance that the file will include a report by the 8th Squadron CO or an eyewitness who flew on the mission. There is very little in Ferguson & Pascalis' history of the 49th FG about the loss.
There are certainly personal diaries of 8th Squadron officers & enlisted men in existence that describe this loss. Locating someone who has a copy will probably take some time and / or luck. I would suggest that you post this message at the 49th FG websites & forums as well as the AAF forum. Cultivating contacts amongst 49th FG veterans, families & historians is your best bet but it will (obviously) take time and some searching. It may not be too late to try an locate someone from the 8th Squadron who was in Australia or New Guinea in December 1942.
49th Fighter Group Bulletin Boards
http://www.flyingknights.net/bulletin.htm
49th FG on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/49th-Figh ... 0677559354
49th Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB - there should be a Air Force historian to contact here
http://www.holloman.af.mil/library/fact ... sp?id=4363
AAF forum - 49th Fighter Group
http://forum.armyairforces.com/49th-FG-f264.aspx
I have been able to find a "Missing Air Crew Report" (MACR) for the loss. Most (all?) of the MACR's for SW Pacific losses that occurred from 1941-42 were written towards the end of WWII using available documents. A MACR likely exists somewhere but it is unlikely that it will tell you much that you do not already know.
Have you written to the historians at the Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB? This is a good source to check but my bet is that official records (except for the IDPF) will not have anything conclusive to say about this loss.
If you are able to locate anything please let us know.
Good luck,
Edward
Pacific Wrecks webpage on Lt. Richard H. Dennis
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/p-40/dennis.html
I have worked on this case for several weeks and none of my colleagues have been unable to come up with anything that is remotely conclusive about the loss of 1st Lt. Richard H. Dennis on 18 December 1942.
My contacts who have access to Japanese records have exhausted about 90% of official & captured Japanese documents for 18 December 1942. None of the Japanese Naval Air Force (JNAF) records make any mention of an encounter with USAAF or RAAF fighters on this date. Consensus seems to be that the only JNAF left to eliminate is the 582nd Kokutai (Air Group). Ki-43 fighters ("Oscars") of the Japanese Army Air Force (JAAF) were not operating over New Guinea at this time.
Records of Japanese Naval Air Groups examined
204th Naval Air Group - no contacts
252nd Naval Air Group - no contacts
253rd Naval Air Group - no contacts
582nd Naval Air Group - inconclusive
Japanese Monograph 122
I feel that your best bet is to request a copy of Lt. Dennis' "Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF)" from the US Army if you have not already done so. There is a good chance that the file will include a report by the 8th Squadron CO or an eyewitness who flew on the mission. There is very little in Ferguson & Pascalis' history of the 49th FG about the loss.
There are certainly personal diaries of 8th Squadron officers & enlisted men in existence that describe this loss. Locating someone who has a copy will probably take some time and / or luck. I would suggest that you post this message at the 49th FG websites & forums as well as the AAF forum. Cultivating contacts amongst 49th FG veterans, families & historians is your best bet but it will (obviously) take time and some searching. It may not be too late to try an locate someone from the 8th Squadron who was in Australia or New Guinea in December 1942.
49th Fighter Group Bulletin Boards
http://www.flyingknights.net/bulletin.htm
49th FG on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/49th-Figh ... 0677559354
49th Fighter Wing at Holloman AFB - there should be a Air Force historian to contact here
http://www.holloman.af.mil/library/fact ... sp?id=4363
AAF forum - 49th Fighter Group
http://forum.armyairforces.com/49th-FG-f264.aspx
I have been able to find a "Missing Air Crew Report" (MACR) for the loss. Most (all?) of the MACR's for SW Pacific losses that occurred from 1941-42 were written towards the end of WWII using available documents. A MACR likely exists somewhere but it is unlikely that it will tell you much that you do not already know.
Have you written to the historians at the Historical Research Agency at Maxwell AFB? This is a good source to check but my bet is that official records (except for the IDPF) will not have anything conclusive to say about this loss.
If you are able to locate anything please let us know.
Good luck,
Edward