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NAME Gerald Hubert Champlin |
NICKNAME — |
SERVICE NUMBER 301657 |
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| UNIT VMSB-131 Radioman |
HOME OF RECORD 432 Byron Street, Huntington, IN born Buffalo, NY |
NEXT OF KIN Wife, Mrs. Gertrude Champlin later Lt. Champlin, WAC |
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| DATE OF BIRTH December 22, 1918 |
ENTERED SERVICE November 16, 1940 |
DATE OF LOSS February 1, 1943 reported February 2, 1943 |
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| REGION Solomon Islands |
CAMPAIGN / AREA New Georgia |
CASUALTY TYPE Missing In Action Declared Dead February 3, 1945 |
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| CIRCUMSTANCES OF LOSS Sergeant Gerald Champlin was an aviation radioman and gunner assigned to VMSB-131. He participated in the campaign for the northern Solomon islands, and on 1 February 1943 took part in an afternoon strike against Japanese ships near Munda. Over the target, the bombers were attacked by a CAP of Japanese fighter planes. Champlin’s plane (TBF-1 05901) was last seen in flight over Vangunu Island in the New Georgia group. It never returned to base; the fate of Champlin, pilot Arthur T. Molvik, and Staff Sergeant Robert T. Gough (turret gunner) is unknown. The entire crew was declared dead on 3 February 1945. |
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| INDIVIDUAL DECORATIONS Purple Heart with Gold Star |
LAST KNOWN RANK Sergeant |
STATUS OF REMAINS Missing in action |
MEMORIALS Manila American Cemetery |
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