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  P-38J-15-LO Lightning Serial Number 42-104359 Tail 87
USAAF
5th AF
475th FG
433rd FS

Pilot  1st Lt. William Hasty (POW) South Carolina
Shot Down  August 27, 1944

Pilot History
Hasty was born on June 16, 1918. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He died on October 28, 1996. He is buried at Piedmont Cemetery in Bishopville, SC.

Wartime History
Participated in a fighter sweep over Babo.  Hit by anti-aircraft fire in the port engine causing a fire, at 14,000'.  Stuck half in-and-out of the cockpit, Hasty finally managed to free himself from the now brining cockpit,  and bailed out, his parachute opening only moments before it hit the jungle.  Snagged in trees, but spotted by his squadron mates, Hasty was badly and wounded in the leg and landed in a swampy area, around 10:30am.

Located by a native Japanese collaborator at 2:30pm, Hasty surrendered to a group of Japanese, and was extensively beat up and taken back to Babo for interrogation.    His captors revealed detailed knowledge about his group, the 475th FG, down to crew chiefs, and asked him to reveal the range of the P-38. He was held bound and blindfolded into a large building near the runway with a red cross on it. 

While interned at Babo, he witnessed several American missions against Babo from the ground and narrowly avoided being killed during those attacks.

On June 11, 1944 he was loaded onto a twin engine transport and flown to Borneo.  There, he was placed in a stockade with starving Australian POWs, who generously poured their only bottle of iodine on his wounded leg which had been untreated by the Japanese, saving his life and leg.

Next he was flown to the Philippines, Formosa then Yokohama Naval Base, where he endured 90 days of solitary confinement and three beatings a day.  Afterwards, the Japanese gave up, and placed him in another POW camp, with "Pappy" Boyington.  Hasty survived the war.

References
"The Ghost Sentai" by Carroll R. Anderson, Wings, February 1978

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Last Updated
October 1, 2009

 

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P-38
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