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Wortham Starr Ashcroft

First Lieutenant Wortham S. Ashcroft served as a pilot and temporary commander of VMSB-141 during the Guadalcanal campaign.
He failed to return from a routine search over Santa Isabel Island on 8 November 1942.

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

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-7077​

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

July 11, 1919
at Weatherford, TX

Parents

William Starr Ashcroft
Annie (Pearson) Ashcroft (d. 1940)

Education

Weatherford High School (1936)
Weatherford College
University of Texas (1939)

Occupation & Employer

Unknown oil pipline company

Service Life

Entered Service

May 29, 1940 (enlisted)
September 15, 1941 (officer)

Home Of Record

637 Arenas Street
La Jolla, CA

Next Of Kin

Wife, Mrs. Margaret Frances (Corbett) Ashcroft

Military Specialty

Pilot
Squadron Leader (acting)

Primary Unit

VMSB-141

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations
Additional Service Details

Loss And Burial

Biography

Wortham Ashcroft was born in Weatherford, Texas on 11 July 1919. He was the second youngest child in a large family headed by William and Annie (Pearson) Ashcroft, and spent his entire youth in his hometown. “W. S.” graduated from Weatherford High in 1936 and went on to attend Weatherford College and the University of Texas Austin, graduating with the class of 1939. That summer, he took an entrance exam for the Coast Guard academy, but for reasons unknown did not wind up wearing the uniform. Instead, he found work with an oil company in his hometown.

Instead of becoming a Coast Guardsman, Wortham joined the Marine Corps Reserve on 29 May 1940. He wanted to fly, and was assigned to an aviation unit based in Kansas City. After completing ground school and elimination training at Long Beach, California, Ashcroft joined a group of hopeful pilots bound for flight training in Florida. One of Wortham’s classmates, R. Bruce Porter, recalled the Texan as “a big, robust young man” with “incredible strength and calm demeanor.” These qualities saved Wortham’s life when his F3F went into an inverted spin on a training flight – he “wrestled the controls to a standstill” then jumped clear with barely enough altitude for his parachute to deploy. Three of his fellow cadets died in similar crashes.

On 15 September 1941, Ashcroft received his wings and a commission as a Marine Corps second lieutenant. He was assigned to VMSB-132, a scout bomber squadron with whom he would serve for the first several months of the war. He married Margaret while stationed in California; the two made their home in La Jolla.

Ashcroft went overseas as a pilot with VMSB-141 in the summer of 1942. He served with distinction in the Guadalcanal campaign, flying missions out of Henderson Field with the “Cactus Air Force.” A talented and trusted officer, he became the acting CO of his squadron when Major Gordon Bell was killed on 14 October 1942. The following day, Ashcroft led an attack on Japanese shipping and was credited with sinking a transport. For these exploits he was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Circumstances of Loss
Ashcroft was still serving as the squadron skipper when he departed Henderson Field for a routine patrol mission on 8 November 1942. His arm was in a sling, the result of a combat injury suffered the previous day, but Ashcroft insisted on taking a bomber (SBD-3 BuNo 06678) to Santa Isabel Island to search for Japanese shipping
 

As the patrol neared Santa Isabel, a bad storm blew in and quickly enveloped the planes, reducing visibility to zero and compelling the pilots to fly on instruments alone. When the bombers emerged into clear sky, Ashcroft’s SBD was missing. Despite repeated searches, no trace of Ashcroft or his gunner (Corporal Samuel O. Preston, Jr.) was ever found.

Burial Information or Disposition

None; remains not recovered. Ashcroft and Preston were officially declared dead on 19 February 1945.

Wortham Ashcroft was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain.

Next Of Kin Address

Address of wife, Mrs. Margaret F. Ashcroft

Location Of Loss

SBD-3 #06678 was lost in a storm in the vicinity of Santa Isabel Island

Related Profiles

VMSB-141 personnel non-recovered from the Guadalcanal area.
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