James P Dibble
1st Lieutenant, United States Army Air Corps
94th Fighter Squadron, 1st Fighter Group, 12th United States Air force
Born: 11/3/1921 Died: 9/9/1943
From: Michigan, USAPer Missing Aircraft Report (MACR) 693, on September 9, 1943 1st Lieutenant James P. Dibble led a group of P-38 “Lightning” fighters flying out of Dittiano Airbase, Sicily on a mission to “patrol and strafe” south of Salerno, Italy in preparation for the Salerno landings (Operation Avalanche). Dibble’s group attacked a convoy of approximately 400 German vehicles and during strafing run, 1st LT Dibble’s P-38 (Serial Number 42- 13411) was hit and he bailed out. 1st LT Dibble landed near his downed aircraft and was killed by the enemy.


References:



USAF Serial Number Report:

http://cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=42-13501&content=

Utube Video about the Dibble Family locating the crash site and the town unveiling the monument; “ WWII Lost and Found P-38 James P Dibble”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5xBv8zSe84

Honor Roll 1st Fighter Group 1941- APR 45:

http://raf-112-squadron.org/1stfghonor_roll.html