Lelen Taylor Wardle

Lieutenant Lelen “Taylor” Wardle joined VMF-321 at Efate on 21 December 1943. He arrived with two kills to his credit – scored in his first-ever engagement on 21 August 1943 – and one probable.

On 22 January 1944, Lieutenant Wardle took off from Piva Fighter Strip with 15 other VMF-321 pilots to provide fighter cover for a B-25 strike against Rabaul. Eight Corsairs aborted with engine trouble, leaving the rest to continue the mission. As part of the “roving high cover” element, Lieutenant Wardle circled over Rabaul itself as the B-25s dropped their bombs, then engaged a force of Japanese fighters that harassed the attackers on the withdrawal.

Two VMF-321 pilots failed to land after the mission: Wardle and 1Lt. Eugene V. Smith. While Smith returned to duty without apparent mishap or misadventure, Wardle reported as missing in action. First Lieutenant Robert Keim reported seeing “a Corsair down in flames, pilot parachuting to water 120 degrees and 8 miles off Cape St. George.” This may have been the last sighting of Wardle’s FG-1 #13270.

Nothing more was learned of Wardle’s fate, and he was ultimately declared dead on 23 January 1945. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Captain and awarded two Air Medals for his service.