2nd Lt Alphonse "Al" D. Quinones
39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) P-38 Lightning pilot and Prisoner Of War (POW)

Background
Alphonse D. Quinones was born March 2, 1918. Nicknamed "Al". He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as an aviation cadet. After completing flight training he earned his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-748876. Quinones was sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 35th Fighter Group (35th FG), 39th Fighter Squadron (39th FS) as a fighter pilot flying the P-38 Lightning in New Guinea. He was given advice by seasoned pilots from the squadron including John C. Dunbar.

On November 3, 1943 took off piloting P-38H Lighting on his first combat mission over Rabaul.

Mission History
On November 7, 1943 took off from Kiriwina Airfield piloting P-38H Lightning 42-66911 on a fighter sweep over Rabaul. This aircraft was part of "Red Flight" flying the no. 2 position leading the formation. The weather was overcast at 30,000' with heavy rain at 25,000'.

Over New Britain the formation engaged in a dogfight over the Wide Bay area. During the first pass with enemy fighters, this P-38 was hit in the right engine and began trailing Preston coolant badly. Lt. Flood, flying in the no. 3 position stayed with Quinones and began coaching him about what to do over the radio. The damaged engine caught fire from both sides while three Zeros tried to attack from the rear and above, but were driven off by fellow pilots Lt. Walters and Lt. Urquhart.

As the fire in right engine increased, Lt. Flood advised him to bail out. As he descended, a Zero dove at his parachute before he appeared to land approximately 200 yards south of the Powell River roughly 3-5 miles from Wide Bay.

Meanwhile, his damaged P-38 continued and crossed the Baining Mountains, heading back towards Rabaul before crashing south of Lemingi more than 25 miles from where Quinones had bailed out.

Fate of the Pilot
Quinones landed unhurt and was later captured by the Japanese Army and became a Prisoner Of War (POW) and was transported to Rabaul and detained by the 6th Kempeitai at Rabaul Prisoner Compound (Rabaul POW Prison). In early March 1944 after heavy bombing, he and the other prisoners were moved to Tunnel Hill POW Camp until the official surrender of Japan.

On September 2, 1945. Quinones was one of nine Allied prisoners who survived captivity at Rabaul. On September 7, 1945 the former prisoners were embarked aboard HMAS Vendetta (D69) and transported to Jaquinot Bay where they were admitted into the 2/8th General Hospital for received evaluations and debriefing. Afterwards, the Americans were flown aboard a C-47 Skytrain from Jaquinot Bay Airfield to New Guinea.

Relatives
Donald Quinones (son)
Dr. C. Kenneth Quinones (son)
"I am writing a book about my father USAF Major A.D. Quinones and his fellow POWs at Rabaul during WWII. A. D. Quinones is survived by his oldest son Donald Quinones, Arizona Air National guard retired and Vietnam veteran USMC, living in Maricopa, AZ. Second son C. Kenneth Quinones, retired Foreign Service Officer and professor, Ph.D., Harvard University 1974, living in Centreville, VA and daughter Eileen Eisen, working and living in Scottsdale, AZ."
Eileen Eisen (daughter)

References
John C. Dunbar adds:
"I gave new pilot Quinones some sage advice on how to manage my newly assigned P-38 on a Rabaul mission on November 3, 1943. A few days later he was victim of a lucky hit by a zero and had to bail out. His aircraft had #37 on the nose, no nose art."
Pacific Wrecks - P-38H-5-LO Lightning 42-66911
"66911 (35th FG, 39th FS) shot down by Zero 4 mi N of Wide Bay, New Guinea Nov 7, 1943. MACR 3035 and 3037. Pilot POW. MACR 3035 has date of Jul 11, 1943, which is wrong."
Missing Air Crew Report 3037 (MACR 3037)
39th Fighter Squadron Combat Report November 7, 1943
The Siege of Rabaul (1996) by Henry Sakaida page 95 (Rabaul's Military Prisoners - Quinones)
Imperial Japan’s Allied Prisoners in the South Pacific (2021) by C. Kenneth Quinones
FindAGrave - Maj Alphonse D Quinones (grave photos)
Thanks to C. Kenneth Quinones and John C. Dunbar for additional information

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