Nathaniel Ruggles Landon, Jr.

Nathaniel Landon, a former volunteer with the Royal Canadian Air Force, earned his wings and Marine Corps commission in Jacksonville, Florida. He was quickly deployed to the Pacific Theater and by June 1943 was flying combat missions out of the Russell Islands. After several months and fifty missions as a “Fighting Falcon, Landon reported to VMF-211 at Espiritu Santo on Christmas Day, 1943 Three days later, he traveled to Bougainville’s Torokina Strip to begin his first tour with the “Wake Island Avengers.”

Almost immediately, the squadron began flying fighter sweeps and escort missions over the formidable Japanese base at Rabaul. Landon participated in several missions, and destroyed a Japanese float plane moored at Ramun Bay. On this same flight, however, Landon’s division leader Major William T. Campbell disappeared without a trace. It was a sobering reminder of the constant dangers faced by combat pilots.

The fourteenth of January was a busy day for VMF-211: in addition to regular patrols, their war diary mentions two separate missions to Rabaul in support of dive-bomber strikes. Lieutenant Landon participated in the second mission, piloting F4U-1A 17807. Japanese fighters appeared over St. George’s Channel, and a series of dogfights developed. Four aircraft – three “Zekes” and one Corsair – were reported shot down; the American pilot was quickly picked up by a “Dumbo” air-sea rescue flight.

Lieutenant Landon’s Corsair vanished during the fracas. When last seen, he was in the air over Rabaul and “apparently not in any trouble.” Landon failed to return to base after the strike, and was posted as missing in action.

Nothing more was ever learned of Nathaniel Landon’s fate, and he was ultimately declared dead on 15 January 1946.