531st Bombardment Squadron (531st BS)
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 380th Bombardment Group (380th BG)
Background
The 531st Bombardment Squadron (531st BS) was part of 380th Bombardment Group (380th BG) "The Flying Circus", 5th Air Force (5th AF) in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) operating the B-24 Liberator.
Wartime History
On October 26, 1943 lost is B-24D "Fyrtle Myrtle" 42-40485 pilot Captain John A. Farrington (3 MIA, 7 POW).
On June 11, 1943 the squadron at Manbulloo Field flew a bombing mission (FEN I-35) against Koepang on Timor. Lost is B-24D "Careless" 42-40500 pilot Captain James H. Dienelt (MIA), In New Guinea, B-24D "The Leila Belle" 42-40527 pilot Captain Paul G. Smith (MIA) as one of three B-24s from 90th BG on a night bombing mission against Vunakanau Airfield and diverted to strike Gasmata Airfield and was shot down by J1N1 Gekko (Irving) night fighter pilot Shigetoshi Kudo.
On June 15, 1943 the squadron flew a bombing mission against enemy shipping in Simpson Harbor off Rabaul. Returning, B-24D "Kathy" 42-40517 pilot 1st Lt. Benjamin D. Parker (MIA) suffered a midair collision with B-24D "Dauntless Dabbie" 42-40528 pilot 1st Lt Phil Doornbos (survived, two crew MIA) ditched into Teak Bay near Rigo.
B-24J "Milady" 42-73134 pilot Neal crashed January 17, 1944
B-24J "Doodlebug" 42-73117 pilot Smith crashed January 19, 1944
B-24D "Sunshine I" 42-41225 pilot
Jennings crashed March 8, 1944
B-24D "The Big Ass Bird II" 42-72801 pilot Martens MIA March 18-19, 1944
B-24D "Mr. Five By Five" 42-40505 pilot Johnson crashed October 9, 1944
References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages XXX (529th Bombardment) [PDF pages XXX]
The Best in the Southwest: The 380th Bombardment Group (H) in World War II (1995) unit history
The Flying Circus Pacific War 1943 As Seen Through a Bombsight (2005)
Darwin's Air War 1942 – 1945 An Illustrated History Commemorating The Darwin Air Raids (Revised Edition) (2011)
The Flying Circus 380th Bomb Group Association official website
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