Donald Boyd Pollom

Second Lieutenant Donald B. “Don” Pollom was a pilot with HQ Squadron, Marine Air Group (MAG) 12.
He was reported missing on an operational flight out of Quoin Hill, Efate, on 3 February 1944.

Branch

Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-26497

Current Status

Remains Not Recovered

Pursuit Category

The DPAA has not publicized this information.

Capsule History

Pre-War Life

Birth

June 19, 1921
at Arkansas City, AR

Parents

Lester Boyd Pollom
Viva Ruth (Winner) Pollom (d. 1944)

Education

Topeka High School (1939)
University of Kansas (ex-1943)

Occupation & Employer

College student

Service Life

Entered Service

June 9, 1942 (enlisted)
July 3, 1943 (officer)

Home Of Record

Topeka, KS

Next Of Kin

Father, Mr. Lester Pollom

Military Specialty

Pilot
Air Group fighter pool

Primary Unit

MAG-12 (HQ Squadron)

Campaigns Served

—

Individual Decorations

—

Additional Service Details

—

Loss And Burial

Circumstances Of Loss

Second Lieutenant Pollom was assigned to the fighter pilot pool of Marine Air Group Twelve (MAG-12) while awaiting assignment to a combat squadron.

At 0411 hours on 3 January 1944, took off from Quoin Hill airfield on Efate for a routine operational flight. His Corsair, F4U-1 #03840, was reported “believed to have crashed at sea between 0420 and 0425.” No specific location or cause for the crash was noted. Another MAG-12 pilot, 2Lt. Charles B. Selvey, took off shortly after Pollom and was also reported missing; the two pilots may have collided in midair, but there is no hard evidence.

Pollom was reported as “missing while on active duty,” and ultimately declared dead on 4 February 1945. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant.