Leland Evan Thomas

Second Lieutenant Leland E. Thomas was a Marine pilot who flew with VMSB-232.
He was shot down by friendly fire over Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands, on 18 September 1942.

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-9964

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

September 20, 1918
at Ontario, OR

Parents

Benjamin Evan Thomas
Etta May (Lamberson) Thomas

Education

Fruitland High School
College of Idaho

Occupation & Employer

College student

Service Life

Entered Service

September 10, 1941 (enlisted)
April 17, 1942 (officer)

Home Of Record

Fruitland, ID

Next Of Kin

Mother, Mrs. Etta M. Thomas

Military Specialty

Pilot

Primary Unit

VMSB-232

Campaigns Served

Solomon Islands / Guadalcanal

Individual Decorations

Distinguished Flying Cross
Purple Heart

Additional Service Details

—

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Second Lieutenant Leland Thomas was regarded as one of the most promising young pilots in VMSB-232 during the Guadalcanal campaign. He was aggressive and accurate, scoring numerous damaging hits on Japanese ships in a pair of strikes that would lead to a Distinguished Flying Cross citation.

On 18 September 1942, Thomas was assigned to fly the regular morning anti-sub patrol out of Guadalcanal’s Henderson Field. The flight was uneventful, and at around 1100 hours Thomas began to head back to base. His route took him over a small convoy of American transports unloading reinforcements near Lunga. In the low overcast conditions, Thomas’ bomber (SBD-3 #03347) was mistaken for an enemy marauder. Gunners on the transports opened fire, smoking Thomas’ engine. He attempted a water landing, but became trapped in his cockpit when the plane hit the water.

Although suffering from a cut face and internal injuries, eighteen-year-old PFC Edward Lee Eades struggled to free Thomas before the Dauntless slipped beneath the waves. Marines watched from ashore as small boats hurried to the rescue.

Saw my first war casualty. The sea at the beach of Guadalcanal was full of tank lighters and landing boats as we were landing personnel, weapons, and food. While hovering near the President Adams' general alarm was sounded. Soon .50-cal machine gun fire opened up on a lone plane flying low; not more than 300 feet. Soon afterwards it pancaked into the water. It was an American, not a Jap plane.... [One man] from the plane was rescued; the firing on him began on the USS President Hayes, picked up by the Adams and Jackson. [Airman] was shot in the leg but rumor has him expected to recover.

Gerry White

A/1/7th Marines

At about 10.30 a.m. word passed up and down the beach that at exactly 11.00 a.m. each day the Japs would hit us with an air raid. We got jumpy! We were told to dig in, but few of us bothered – we were too tired. A few minutes before 11.00 a.m. a low-flying plane came from the direction of Tologa. All the ships began firing at it. The plane banked to the right to try to escape the fire, but it was too late. The engine began smoking, and the pilot made a five or six mile circle up past the Matanikau River and back – to crash land just off the shore in front of us. So our first plane shot down was one of our own, trying to get back to refuel before the Jap air raid began.

Joe Goble

B/1/7th Marines

We saw a heartbreaking incident on the beach where the 7th is unloading. A Douglas dive-bomber was circling low overhead, presumably on anti-submarine patrol. Suddenly anti-aircraft guns on one of the ships opened fire on it. At least one other ship joined in, and the bomber began trailing smoke. The pilot headed toward the beach to crash-land, running into more fire. The stars on the plane's wings were plainly visible, but the newcomers refused to believe the plane was ours. When the poor devil crashed into the water a great cheer went up from the apes on the beach, who seconds before had stampeded into the palms. Those of us who knew our own planes couldn't believe our eyes and ears. We shouted: "Don't shoot, goddammit, it's our plane, our plane." But there was no stopping it. A Higgins boat brought in one of the crew, badly shot up. The other, I suppose, is dead.