December 7, 1944 then Major William "Bill" Dunham led a flight of nine P-47s of the 460th Fighter Squadron on a mission to “engage, disperse, and destroy” enemy aerial cover over a Japanese convoy in San Isidro Bay.
Major Dunham would destroy four four aircraft and observe a Japanese Oscar pilot descending in his parachute. Pulling his P-47 around Dunham began a run on the parachuting enemy. It had been a common occurrence for the Japanese pilots to shoot at Americans that were parachuting, so Bill’s intention was probably to get a bit of revenge.
However, something held him back and instead of killing the helpless enemy, Dunham circled back. Spotting the Japanese pilot now bobbing in the waves with little hope of survival, Major Dunham made a risky low pass, cranked his cockpit enclosure open, and threw his Mae West life jacket out to the airman. Dunham received the Distinguished Service Cross for that act of heroism which is memorialized in Uncommon Chivalry, a painting, that hangs in the Museum of Flight . Bill Dunham finished the war as the second leading P-47 ace in the Southwest Pacific Theater with 16 victories.
Brigadier General William "Bill" Dunham’s distinguished service and leadership in the Southwest Pacific during WWII is honored and commemorated by Dakota Territory Air Museum’s restoration of P-47D-23RA 42-27609 as Dunham’s last P-47 “Bonnie”.
This collection pays tribute to this incredible pilot and his magnificent P47D "Bonnie".
We have worked closely with Aircorps Aviation and the Dakota Territory Air Museum to create a line of articles with the utmost precision in detail.