A team of researchers announced that they might have found the remains of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter World War II ace Richard Bong flew, named “Marge,” buried deep in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. The discovery was announced by the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior, Wisconsin, and the nonprofit historical preservation group Pacific Wrecks.
It was a Lockheed P-38J-15-LO, Serial Number 42-103993, assigned to the 5th Air Force, 5th Fighter Command, Headquarters Squadron. One of the famous flyers of this particular aircraft was Captain Richard I. Bong, who named it after his girlfriend Marge Vattendahl. It was easily recognized because of its red propeller spinners, wingtips, and tail tips.
Back in March 1944, it was under the control of a different pilot, Thomas Malone, when it suffered engine failure and crashed in the jungle. Malone bailed out safely, but the plane wasn’t seen again until now. Justin Taylan, director of the Pacific Wrecks website and leader of the expedition, said Sunday that the wreckage was discovered on 15 May in Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
Taylan distributed photos from the find, which included a wing tip stamped with the number “993,” the last three digits of the plane’s serial number. A piece of metal was marked with “Model P-38 JK.” In a video news conference from Papua New Guinea, Taylan said that these identifiers prove the wreckage is Marge. “Definitely, beyond a doubt,” he said.
The search for Marge was long and tedious. Historical records placed the crash site on a 150-year-old plantation. Residents first pointed the team toward a Japanese fighter plane wreck, then later to the actual location deeper in the jungle. Deeper in the jungle, residents pointed them to a Japanese fighter plane wreck, then ultimately to the actual location. The team located the wreckage in a ravine with the plane’s engines sticking out of the ground and remnants of Bong’s red paint still evident on the wing tips.
Richard Bong, from Poplar, Wisconsin, is credited with destroying 40 Japanese aircraft during World War II, more than any other American pilot. He was awarded the Medal of Honor by General Douglas MacArthur in 1944. Bong married Vattendahl the following year, but later that year died while testing a P-80 jet fighter in California.
The discovery of Marge has been received with excitement by the Bong family. James Bong, a nephew of Richard Bong, said he was overwhelmed by the news that experts had identified the aircraft. Not only did the find honor his memory but brought new awareness of what he did during the war.
This very success only proves the dedication of Pacific Wrecks toward the preservation of historic relics and the men who served. Using new technologies to locate and research remains from earlier conflicts, ensures that history doesn’t forget.