36th Pursuit Squadron (36th PS) / 36th Fighter Squadron (36th FS)
"The Flying Fiends"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 8th Fighter Group (8th FG)

Wartime History
Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 8th Fighter Group (8th FG) as the 36th Pursuit Squadron (36th PS) and later renamed the 36th Fighter Squadron (36th FS) and nicknamed "The Flying Fiends" equipped with the P-39 Airacobra and later the P-38 Lightning flying combat missions in the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) during World War II.

Wartime History
In early 1942 the 36th Pursuit Squadron (36th PS) was sent overseas to Australia. On March 6, 1942 arrives Brisbane. On March 13, 1942 the squadron moves to Lowood Airfield. In late April 1942 the squadron arrives at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby in New Guinea.

On April 30, 1942 eleven P-39 Airacobras from the 35th FS and 36th FS led by Lt. Col Boyd D. "Buzz" Wagner took off on a mission to strike Lae Airfield. This was the first combat mission of the 8th Pursuit Group (8th PG) in New Guinea. At 2:37pm, the Airacobras strafed Lae Airfield targeting parked aircraft and seaplanes in Huon Gulf, then depart the target area. Near Salamaua, A6M2 Zeros of the Tainan Kōkūtai (Tainan Air Group) attack the formation. Lost are P-39D 41-6982 pilot 1st Lt. Paul G. Brown (survived) force landed later rescued and P-39F 41-7186  pilot 1st Lt. James J. Bevlock (survived) force landed later rescued.

On May 1, 1942 six Airacobras took off on a ferry flight from Antil Plains Airfield flying northward with a refueling stop at Cooktown Airfield then encountered a storm near Horn Island. Due to bad weather and thick clouds, four Airacobras force land on Cape York Peninsula including P-39D "Erminie" 41-6951 pilot Lt. Charles Faletta (survived), P-39F 41-7215 (survived) and P-39F pilot 2nd Lt. Robert R. Love.

During early May 1942 redesigned the 36th Fighter Squadron (36th FS).

P-39F 41-7215  pilot Harvey force landed May 1, 1942 salvaged 1971 under restoration
P-39F pilot Love  force landed May 1, 1942, pilot killed
P-39D 41-6800  pilot McGee force landed May 9, 1942
P-39D 41-6909  pilot Lovett crashed May 3, 1942, pilot killed
P-39D 41-6956  pilot Schwimmer MIA May 4, 1942, 1 missing
P-39D 41-6971  pilot Armstrong MIA May 4, 1942, 1 missing
P-39F 41-7122  pilot Bland ditched May 17, 1942, pilot survived
P-39F 41-7191  pilot Chapman MIA May 18, 1942, 1 missing
P-39F 41-7162  pilot Hornsby force landed May 27, 1942, pilot survived
P-39F 41-7190  pilot Exum force landed May 28, 1942, pilot survived
P-39F pilot Andres  crashed May 28, 1942, pilot survived
P-39F 41-7116  pilot Gholson crashed May 29, 1942, pilot survived

On June 30, 1942 the squadron moves from Port Moresby to Garbutt Field at Townsville.

On September 14, 1942 moves from Ross River Airfield to Milne Bay. On September 25, 1943 lost is P-39D 41-38339  pilot 1st Lt. Paul G. Brown (MIA).

On February 22, 1943 moves from Milne Bay to Mareeba Airfield.

P-39Q 42-19959  pilot Melville MIA October 28, 1943 near Bulldog, 1 missing, resolved
P-39Q 42-19987  pilot Pitonyak crashed October 28, 1943, wreckage located, remains recovered and identified 2016, case resolved
P-39Q pilot Burley  crashed October 11, 1943, pilot killed
P-39Q 42-20031  pilot Fenn MIA October 28, 1943, 1 missing

P-39Q 42-20339  abandoned Tadji Airfield recovered 1974 stored in the United States
P-39Q 42-20013  transfered November 1943 to 82nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (82nd TRS) ultimate fate unknown

P-38F 42-12652  assigned from 39th Fighter Squadron during February or March 1943 stricken June 6, 1944
P-38H 42-66528  pilot Danson MIA March 14, 1944
P-38H 42-66555  pilot Mikucky MIA April 16, 1944
P-38H 42-66???  pilot Zielinski MIA April 16, 1944
P-38H 42-66668  pilot Keown MIA April 16, 1944
P-38H 42-66832  pilot Reeves MIA April 16, 1944
P-38L 44-26538  pilot Stier crashed July 13, 1945
P-38L 44-????? pilot Henderson crashed July 13, 1945
P-38H piloted by Weiss  MIA March 19, 1944
P-38 piloted by Perkins crashed March 21, 1944
P-38 "Nulli Secundus"  pilot Ladd MIA October 15, 1944

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 171-173 (36th Fighter) [PDF pages 183-185]
Stars & Bars (1995) pages 25 (8th PG / 8th FG)
Attack & Conquer The 8th Fighter Group in World War II (1999) unit history of the 8th Fighter Group (8th FG)
P-39 Airacobra Aces of World War 2 (2001) page 9
"P-39s of the USAAF's 8th PG (all pursuit groups were redesignated fighter groups in May 1942)"