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| USAAF 5th AF 8th FG 35th FS Former Assignments 475th FG 431st FS |
Pilot 1st Lt. Dean E. Jacobson, O-677043 (MIA / KIA) SD Crashed March 30, 1944 MACR 4340 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Constructors Number 1257. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38H-5-LO Lightning serial number 42-66746. Disassembled and shipped overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 475th Fighter Group (475th FG), 431st Fighter Squadron (431st FS). Assigned Squadron number 118 in white on the nose with vertical stabilizers and spinners painted yellow. Assigned to crew chief SSgt. Arthur W. Endholm. First assigned to pilot Captain Harry W. Brown who nicknamed the plane "Sylvia" in a stylized font on the outer side of the left engine cowling. Next, assigned to Captain Franklin H. Monk who nicknamed the plane "Petty Pretty"with the nose art of a Varga girl plus "Doris" on the right engine cowling and "Florence" on the left engine cowling. Finally, assigned to pilot Captain Robert L. Herman who nicknamed the plane "Chubby 1st". Later, transfered to the 8th Fighter Group (8th FG), 35th Fighter Squadron (35th FS). This plane might have retained the prior nicknames and artwork, or might have been repainted. When lost, engines V-1710-91 serial number 42-93648 and V-1710-89 serial number 42-30722. Armed with 20mm cannon and four .50 caliber machine guns serial numbers listed in MACR 4340. Mission History On March 30, 1944 at 6:23am took off from Nadzab No. 4 Airfield (Newton Field) APO 713, Unit #1 piloted by 1st Lt. Dean E. Jacobson on a cross country flight bound for Milne Bay. The weather was 3/10 low overcast at 5,000' at 6:00am and 3/10 low overcast at 300' at 07:00. Last seen by Sgt Solomon Goldstein, 301st Airdrome Squadron who was on duty in the control tower, who observed this P-38 take off, gain altitude and proceed on course. Search After this aircraft was reported missing, several search missions were flown, all with nil results. On April 4, 1944 Australian Aircraft Warning Wireless was requested to have their spotters at Sialum, Kulungtufu, Mape River and Finschafen advised, but no sightings were reported. On April 5, 1944 two PBY Catalinas from USS Half Moon (AVP-26) searched from Lae to Milne Bay, without result. The next day, searching was impossible due to bad weather. On April 7, 1944 OA-10 Catalina's searched south of the Alexander Range and along the coast towards Milne Bay without result. Finally, on April 9, 1944 a U.S. Army L-4 Cub searched a 100 mile radius while ten other Cubs from Goodenough also searched, without result as there was a weather front from Kokoda to Milne Bay. Memorials Jacobson was officially declared dead on January 23, 1946. He earned the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters. He did not earn the Purple Heart, posthumously as the flight he was lost was non-combat. Jacobson is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. He also has a memorial marker at Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Armour, South Dakota. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - P-38H-5-LO Lightning 42-66746 "66746 (8th FG) lost Mar 30, 1944. MACR 4340" 35th Fighter Squadron History, Frame 601 Missing Air Crew Report 4340 (MACR 4340) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - P-38H Lightning 42-66746 475th Fighter Group - Aircraft Listing "118 / 431st / 42-66746 / "Sylvia" Captain Harry W. Brown / "Petty Pretty" Captain Franklin H. Monk / "Chubby 1st" Captain Robert L. Herman / Crew Chief S/Sgt. Arthur W. Endholm" Stars & Bars (1995) page 166 (Brown, Harry Winston), 460 (Monk, Franklin Herman) (Page 166) "Assigned aircraft: P-38 #118" (Page 460) "Assigned aircraft: P-38H 42-66746 #118 Petty Pretty" American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Dean E. Jacobson FindAGrave - 1Lt Dean E Jacobson (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Dean E Jacobson (photo, memorial marker photo) 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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