Earl Donaldson Hill
Captain Earl D. Hill was a Marine pilot with VMSB-236
He was reported missing in action on a mission to Rabaul, New Britain, on 31 January 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-12811
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
The DPAA has not publicized this information.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
April 20, 1919
at Okolona, MS
Parents
Eric Irvin Hill
Elma Eoline (Conerly) Hill
Education
Moorhead Agricultural High School
Sunflower Junior College (1942)
Occupation & Employer
Recent graduate
Service Life
Entered Service
October 16, 1941 (enlisted)
August 28, 1942 (officer)
Home Of Record
Okolona, MS
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Eric Hill
Military Specialty
Pilot
Primary Unit
VMSB-236
Campaigns Served
Northern Solomons (two tours)
Individual Decorations
Purple Heart
Additional Service Details
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
On 31 January 1944, took off from Munda Airfield in SBD-4 #10555 with a mission to bomb Japanese shipping at Simpson Harbor, Rabaul. Stymied by bad weather over the target, the strike force headed to Tobera Airfield and “racked” their bombs. Japanese fighter planes rose up in defense and “for the first time in this squadron’s experience the Zeros made a concerted head-on run at the SBDs.”
Captain Hill’s plane was hit on the first pass and dropped out of the formation trailing smoke. The SBD was last seen heading down towards Kabanga Bay. Several minutes later, a radio call reported a plane down “10 miles to sea at a bearing of 114 degrees from Tobera.” Fellow pilots believed this to be Hill, but subsequent area searches were negative. No trace of Hill or his gunner Sergeant Joseph Q. Bustamante could be found.
Hill was posted as missing after the mission, and declared dead on 16 January 1945.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. Eric Hill.
Location Of Loss
Captain Hill was last seen in combat over Tobera Airfield.
