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Francis O. Wellington

NAME
Francis Orville Wellington
NICKNAME
SERVICE NUMBER
319867
UNIT
VMSB-132
HOME OF RECORD
Arkport, NY
NEXT OF KIN
Father, Mr. Frank L. Wellington
DATE OF BIRTH
November 23, 1922
ENTERED SERVICE
September, 1941
DATE OF LOSS
December 11, 1942
REGION
Solomon Islands
CAMPAIGN / AREA
New Georgia
CASUALTY TYPE
Missing In Action
Declared Dead December 12, 1943
CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS
Corporal Francis Wellington was an aviation radioman assigned to VMSB-132, part of the Cactus Air Force based out of Guadalcanal. 

On 11 December 1942, Wellington and his pilot, Second Lieutenant Joseph K. Rohrl, participated in a strike against Japanese destroyers off New Georgia. Their aircraft (SBD-3 Bureau Number 03344) was hit while in its dive; Rohrl could not pull up, and the plummeting Dauntless crashed into the sea.

No trace of Lieutenant Rohrl or Corporal Wellington, was ever seen again. Both men were declared dead on 12 December 1943.

INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS
Purple Heart
LAST KNOWN RANK
Corporal
STATUS OF REMAINS
Not recovered
MEMORIALS
Manila American Cemetery

Biography:
Coming soon. Contact the webmaster for information on this Marine.


Articles and Records:

Excerpt from the war diary of VMSB-132, December 1942.

 

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