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What happened to the first squadron commander who took the Corsair into combat?

Short answer

Major William E. Gise, commander of VMF-124, disappeared during an air battle and never returned to base. He was flying a Corsair F4U-1 02178 on May 13, 1943, on a mission to intercept a Japanese reconnaissance bomber near the Russell Islands. He was declared dead on May 14, 1945.

Published: October 31, 2026 · Updated: October 31, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What happened to the first squadron commander who took the Corsair into combat?
F4U at 2023 Oshkosh

The commander of the first Corsair squadron

Major William E. Gise was a Marine pilot and commanding officer of VMF-124. That squadron was the first Marine unit to fly the Vought F4U Corsair during World War II. A dozen of the unit's F4U-1s, under his command, reached Henderson Field on February 12. The squadron landed on Guadalcanal on the morning of February 12, 1943, with Gise at the lead. It flew its first mission before lunch that same day: twelve F4Us escorted a PBY Catalina on a 230-mile mission.

The mission of May 13, 1943

On May 13, 1943, Gise was flying a Corsair (F4U-1 02178) on a mission to intercept a Japanese reconnaissance bomber near the Russell Islands. The Americans engaged its fighter escort in what was described as the first real Corsair combat in that area, and came out clear winners: they claimed 16 Zeros shot down for the loss of four of their own aircraft.

Missing in action

Gise was one of those lost: he disappeared during the air combat and never returned to base. He was declared dead on May 14, 1945.

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