TALK GIVEN BY
MAJOR WILLIAM P. FISHER (AC)
BEFORE G-4 OFFICERS, WDGDS.
MARCH 20, 1942.
 
 
Col. Thomas: Will you tell us where you served in the Pacific Theatre?
 
Major Fisher: I was at Clark Field when the War began. The 19th Group 
 
had been over there about a month, and we were attached to it as soon 
 
as we arrived. There were 4 Combat Squadrons. We had B-17' s at Clark 
 
Field although 2 Squadrons had been removed before the War started. The 
 
morning of the 8th there were 2 Squadrons at Clark and those 2 were 
 
destroyed.
 
The remaining 2 Squadrons started operating from Del Monte, using 
 
Clark as an advance base as long as was practicable. After about a 
 
week, we gave up Clark Field. After leaving Del Monte, we operated 
 
from Darwin. That's the general picture until Java.  
 
I will try to give you a short picture of the Bataan show. While the 
 
B-17's were still operating, the remainder of the 19th Group withdrew 
 
down to Bataan. We were down on Bataan until the 29th of December.  At 
 
that time the 19th Group-- all of the Ground Echelon and everything
 
except the combat Crews that were operated-- evacuated from Bataan by 
 
ship, as Infantry for a month. The Japanese had made their big landing.  
 
The 19th Group was there until Col. Eubank began to evacuate Combat Crew 
 
members by bombers and took crew members down to Australia. That was 
 
going on continuously.  
The last airplane was sent in around the 26th of January from Darwin. 
 
They were operating from Darwin bombing bases on the Group. Then we got
 
 
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