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| USAAF 5th AF 49th FG 9th FS  USAAF 1942   Justin Taylan 2000  Bryon Wessner 2002 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Francis S. Love, O-736269 (MIA / KIA) Dexter, Iowa Crashed November 2, 1943 MACR 1315 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 7282. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38G-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-12848. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 49th Fighter Group (49th FG), 9th Fighter Squadron (9th FS). No known nose art or nickname. When lost, engine serial numbers 42-31648 and 42-29178. Mission History On November 2, 1943 took off from Horanda Airfield (Dobodura No. 4) piloted by 1st Lt. Francis S. Love on a mission to escort B-25s attacking Japanese shipping in Simpson Harbor at Rabaul. Inbound to the target, the flight encountered bad weather and over Rabaul flak and fighters. Intercepted by enemy fighters near the mouth of the Warangoi River, the escorting P-38s engaged about 20 Zekes and Oscars. This P-38 failed to return and Love was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). He was presumed lost to enemy aircraft. Wreckage During the late 1990s, the crash site of a P-38 was discovered on Clifton Plantation southeast of Tobera Airfield. The aircraft impacted vertically at high speed and there was not much wreckage on the surface. Recovery of Remains During an initial investigation in the late 1990s, U.S. Army CILHI, the wreck was not acknowledge as American or a P-38, despite the discovery of a "NO STEP" stencil. Later, Brian Bennett discovered the constructors number 7282 stenciled on the red painted propeller spinner, proving the crash site to be that of P-38G Lightning 42-12848 piloted by Love. During 1999, CILHI returned to the crash site to conduct a full investigation. In 2001, another CILHI team returned to conduct further investigations. Love's remains were recovered including his 1936 class ring from Dexter, Iowa was recovered. Memorials After the recovery of remains, a funeral service was held September 27, 2002. Six classmates, including Doris Wilson Neal attended his burial. He was buried at Dexter Cemetery in Dexter, Iowa. Bryon Weesner adds: "At first he was not going to be allowed to be a pilot because of his size (a rather slim individual and short at 5 foot 4 inches). The vault cover photo was specially made for him by Wilbert Vault Companies, he was one of the first veterans to have a vault personalized. “Boys of Humpty Doo” which was a nickname used by the 49th Fighter Group because of their main camp in Australia on the Humpty Doo cattle ranch." References Previously, on July 13, 1943 Love bailed out of P-38 Lightning and survived and returned to duty. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Francis S. Love USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38G-5-LO Lightning 42-12848 "12848 (49th FG, 9th FS) shot down and crashed SE of Tobera Field, Rabaul, New Guinea Nov 2, 1943. MACR 1315. Pilot KIA. Wreck discovered in 2001 near Warongoi River, Papua New Guinea." Missing Air Crew Report 1315 (MACR 1315) created November 4, 1943 Cosmopolitan "'Bing Bang' Bong and the Humpty Doos" by Bob Eunson June 1944 Vol 116 No. 6 page 60-61 We - Jack Purcell and I [Bob Eunson] - flew over the Owen Stanley Mountains to the jungle habitat of the Humpty Doos [9h Fighter Squadron] to see if we could find out what it takes to be a fighter pilot sans pareil.. now we are sitting in the little club of the Humpty Doos built of screen, cement and tin, in a jungle paradise... And there’s a shelf for the silver drinking mugs. Each pilot owns a handsome mug with his name engraved on the side. Mugs belonging to boys who have been killed or are missing are turned upside down. In that section you see names as Prince, Lidstrom, Love, Sells." PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-38G Lightning 42-12848 49th Fighter Group - Aces of the Pacific (2004) pages 80-81 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Francis S. Love "1LT Love's remains have been recovered and identified. His name is permanently inscribed on the Tablets of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial." FindAGrave - Francis Schuyler Love (photo, grave photo) Thanks to Brian Bennett and Rick Ray for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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 P-38  Photo Archive  Map November 2, 1943  MIA1 Missing Resolved |
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