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Barry Justin Arnold

Private Barry J. Arnold was a Marine aviator who flew with VMSB-232.
He died in a crash offshore of Lunga Point, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 14 September 1942.

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number 331529

Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth*

October 2, 1922
at Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA

Parents

Elgin Larry Arnold
Leona (Premack) Arnold

Education

North High School (1940)
University of Minnesota (ex-1944)

Occupation & Employer

College student

*Note: most civilian records give this Marine's name as Justin Barry Arnold.

Service Life

Entered Service

December 13, 1941
at Minneapolis, MN

Home Of Record

1526 Newton Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Leona Arnold

Military Specialty

Aviation Radioman / Gunner

Primary Unit

VMSB-232

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Private Arnold was a radioman and gunner serving with VMSB-232, a Marine dive-bombing squadron stationed at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. He frequently flew with Second Lieutenant Yale W. Kaufman at the pilot’s controls.

On 14 September 1942, Kaufman and Arnold were assigned to a routine sector search in company with another SBD.* The patrol passed without incident, and the two aircraft were returning to base at about 1800 hours, when Kaufman’s plane suddenly went into a steep glide at an altitude of 200 feet. The bomber hit the water with a great splash about half a mile from Lunga Point and disappeared immediately.

Both airmen were killed in the incident, and neither man’s body was recovered. The cause of the crash was never known for certain, though fellow airmen speculated that Kaufman and Arnold were distracted by planes passing overhead, and crashed before correcting their glide.

* Note: Arnold’s SBD is alternately reported as Bureau Number 04667 (AviationArchaeology.com) or 03347 (OQMG Form 371).
03347 may have been flown by Second Lieutenant Leland E. Thomas.

Excerpt from the muster roll of VMSB-232, September 1942.
Burial Information or Disposition

Remains lost at sea.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of mother, Mrs. Leona Arnold.

Location Of Loss

Kaufman and Arnold crashed at sea about half a mile offshore of Lunga Point.

Related Profiles

Pilots and aircrew of VMSB-232 lost in the Guadalcanal campaign.
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