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Brenda Moffat - Solomon-Family
to remember
Marine Maj George Moffat.
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Contact Info
Home Town Brooklyn
Last Address 314 47th St. Brooklyn, NY
MIA Date Nov 03, 1943
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Air Loss, Crash - Sea
Location Papua New Guinea
Conflict World War II
Location of Memorial Manila American Cemetery - Taguig City, Philippines
As the Pacific Campaign continued the squadron transitioned to the F4U Corsair for the remainder of the war. VMF-211 participated in the Treasury-Bougainville Campaign..
On November 3rd, 1943 MAJ George Moffat, a fighter pilot with the US Marine Corp and sister unit to the famous Black Sheep Squadron with Greg Pappy Boyington was shot down by Japanese Zeroes while on a Combat Air Patrol north of Bougainville, Solomon Islands. Pappy heard George’s radio call that they were attacked by two Japanese Zeroes and they were having engine trouble. His final words were, “skip it, Im going in.” After two days of search and rescue, he was listed MIA and never came home.
MOFFAT, George, 6893, VMF-211, MAG-11, 1st MAW, FMF, Solomon Is, November 4, 1944, killed in action + MOFFAT, George, Major, O-006893, USMC, from New York, Manila American Cemetery + MOFFAT, George, Major, USMC. Wife, Mrs. George Moffat, 314 47th St., Brooklyn, NY + MOFFAT George, MAJ, O-006893, USMC, from New York, location Solomon Islands, date of loss November 3, 1943.
MAJ George Moffat, pilot, was declared Missing in Action on 3 Nov 1943. Declared Killed in Action 4 November 1944. His body was not recovered.
Northern Solomon Islands Campaign (1943-44)/Battle of Bougainville
From Month/Year
November / 1943
To Month/Year
January / 1944
Description After New Georgia, the next major operation was an invasion of the island of Bougainville, which was approached by landings at Mono and Stirling in the Treasury Islands on October 25-27, 1943. A Marine division landed on the west coast of Bougainville at Empress Augusta Bay on November 1, 1943. The Marines were followed within the month by an Army division and replaced in the next month by another Army division.
It was late November before the beachhead at Empress Augusta Bay was secure. This beachhead was all that was needed, and no attempt was made to capture the entire island. Allied planes neutralized enemy airfields in the northern part of the island, and the Allied command made use of its naval and air superiority to contain the Japanese garrison on Bougainville and cut its supply line to Rabaul by occupying the Green Islands (February 14, 1944).
Despite these measures, the Japanese maintained pressure against the beachhead, mounting an especially heavy but unsuccessful counterattack as late as March 1944. Success at Bougainville isolated all Japanese forces left in the Solomons. The Japanese sustained comparatively heavy air and naval losses during the campaign, which further crippled the Japanese Combined Fleet and had a vital effect on the balance of naval power in the Central Pacific.
