December 9, 1916 - Hazleton, Pennsylvania - Thomas Joseph Lynch is born
January(?) 1(?), 1936 - Catasauqua, Pennsylvania - Graduates from Catasauqua High School
January(?) 1(?), 1937 - Pittsburgh - Enters the University of Pittsburgh
January(?) 1(?), 1940 - Pittsburgh - Graduates from the University of Pittsburgh with a chemical engineering degree
March 1(?), 1941 - Selfridge Field, Michigan - Assigned to the 39th Pursuit Squadron, flying the Bell P-39 Airacobra =(START)
December 6, 1941 - Baer Field, Indiana - The 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Baer Field
January 29, 1942 - San Francisco - 39th Squadron personnel board the "USS Ancon" bound for Australia
February 25, 1942 - Brisbane, Australia - "USS Ancon" arrives in Australia
March 8, 1942 - Ballarat, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Ballarat, Australia
March 16, 1942 - Mount Gambier, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Mount Gambier, Australia
April 3, 1942 - Williamstown, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Williamstown, Australia
April 20, 1942 - Woodstock, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Woodstock, Australia
May 15, 1942 - Woodstock - 39th Pursuit Squadron is redesignated 39th Fighter Squadron
May 17, 1942 - Port Moresby, New Guinea - 39th Fighter Squadron moves to Port Moresby, New Guinea. First contact with japanese aircraft
May 20, 1942 - 2 japanese aircraft shot down. (2 total)
May 26, 1942 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down while escorting a troop transport flight. (3 total)
June 15, 1942 - Lynch is forced to bail out after his plane is heavily damaged by japanese aircraft, breaking his arm in the process
July 26, 1942 - Townsville, Australia - The 39th Fighter Squadron is selected to become the first Fifth Air Force P-38 squadron and returns to Australia to receive the new fighter
October 10, 1942 - Townsville, Australia - Transition and check-out completed. The 39th Fighter Squadron departs to Laloki airfield, via Horn Island
October 18, 1942 - Laloki airfield, near Port Moresby, New Guinea - The Squadron returns to combat operations, reequipped with the new P-38
December 27, 1942 - over the Buna beachhead - Lynch shoots down 2 "Oscars" over the Buna beachhead. (5 total)
December 31, 1942 - over Lae, E. Papua New Guinea - 2 "Zeroes" shot down over Lae. (7 total)
January 6, 1943 - not far from Lae - P-38s from Lynch's squadron bomb a japanese reinforcement convoy bound for Lae. Lynch claims a bomb hit on one ship
January 7, 1943 - not far from Lae - 1 "Oscar" shit down while escorting P-40 Kittyhawks on their way to bomb Lae. (8 total)
March 3, 1943 - Schwimmer Field, near Port Moresby - Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Lynch shoots down a "zero" while escorting B-17s and B-25s. (9 total)
March 24, 1943 - Schwimmer Field - Thomas Lynch becomes the commander of the 39th Fighter Squadron
May 8, 1943 - 1 "Zero" shot down. (10 total)
June 12, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (11 total)
July 1(?), 1943 - Schwimmer Field, near Port Moresby - Thomas Lynch is promoted to Major
July 21, 1943 - Schwimmer Field - The 39th Fighter Squadron shoots down 11 japanese airplanes for a total of 104
August 20, 1943 - Wewak, N. Papua New Guinea - 2 Kawasaki ki-45 Nicks shot down on a bomber escort mission to Wewak. (13 total)
August 21, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (14 total)
September 4, 1943 - over Huon Gulf - 1 Kawasaki ki-48 Lily bomber shot down over the Huon Gulf. (15 total)
September 16, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (16 total)
October 1(?), 1943 - United States - 30-day leave
October 23, 1943 - Swissvale, Pennsylvania - Thomas J. Lynch marries his college girlfriend, Rosemary Fullen
December 15, 1943 - While in the United States - The 39th Fighter Squadron is moved to Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea
January 1(?), 1944 - Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea(?) - Lynch returns to the Southwest Pacific
January 27, 1944 - Gusap Airfield, New Guinea - 39th Squadron moves to Gusap Airfield, New Guinea
February 14, 1944 - Wewak Area - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (17 total)
February 15, 1944 - off Cape Hoskins, New Britain - Covering Major Richard Bong while he downed a "Tony" on a flight back from an escort mission to Kavieng
February 28, 1944 - Wewak, N. Papua New Guinea - Covering Major Richard Bong while he destroys a japanese transport full of officers on the runway at Wewak
March 3, 1944 - 2 japanese aircraft shot down. (19 total)
March 5, 1944 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (20 total)
March 8, 1944 - over Aitape Harbor, N. Papua New Guinea - Without aerial opposition that day, Bong and his friend and mentor Tom Lynch fire at 6 barges, one of which is destroyed. When the two pilots come around for a second pass, Thomas J. Lynch is hit on one of his engines and crashes in the jungle, jumping too low for his parachute to work properly =(END)
March 8, 1942 - Ballarat, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Ballarat, Australia
March 16, 1942 - Mount Gambier, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Mount Gambier, Australia
April 3, 1942 - Williamstown, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Williamstown, Australia
April 20, 1942 - Woodstock, Australia - 39th Pursuit Squadron moves to Woodstock, Australia
May 15, 1942 - Woodstock - 39th Pursuit Squadron is redesignated 39th Fighter Squadron
May 17, 1942 - Port Moresby, New Guinea - 39th Fighter Squadron moves to Port Moresby, New Guinea. First contact with japanese aircraft
May 20, 1942 - 2 japanese aircraft shot down. (2 total)
May 26, 1942 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down while escorting a troop transport flight. (3 total)
June 15, 1942 - Lynch is forced to bail out after his plane is heavily damaged by japanese aircraft, breaking his arm in the process
July 26, 1942 - Townsville, Australia - The 39th Fighter Squadron is selected to become the first Fifth Air Force P-38 squadron and returns to Australia to receive the new fighter
October 10, 1942 - Townsville, Australia - Transition and check-out completed. The 39th Fighter Squadron departs to Laloki airfield, via Horn Island
October 18, 1942 - Laloki airfield, near Port Moresby, New Guinea - The Squadron returns to combat operations, reequipped with the new P-38
December 27, 1942 - over the Buna beachhead - Lynch shoots down 2 "Oscars" over the Buna beachhead. (5 total)
December 31, 1942 - over Lae, E. Papua New Guinea - 2 "Zeroes" shot down over Lae. (7 total)
January 6, 1943 - not far from Lae - P-38s from Lynch's squadron bomb a japanese reinforcement convoy bound for Lae. Lynch claims a bomb hit on one ship
January 7, 1943 - not far from Lae - 1 "Oscar" shit down while escorting P-40 Kittyhawks on their way to bomb Lae. (8 total)
March 3, 1943 - Schwimmer Field, near Port Moresby - Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Lynch shoots down a "zero" while escorting B-17s and B-25s. (9 total)
March 24, 1943 - Schwimmer Field - Thomas Lynch becomes the commander of the 39th Fighter Squadron
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| Lynch (kneeling, center), May 1943 Schwimmer Field, New Guinea |
June 12, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (11 total)
July 1(?), 1943 - Schwimmer Field, near Port Moresby - Thomas Lynch is promoted to Major
July 21, 1943 - Schwimmer Field - The 39th Fighter Squadron shoots down 11 japanese airplanes for a total of 104
August 20, 1943 - Wewak, N. Papua New Guinea - 2 Kawasaki ki-45 Nicks shot down on a bomber escort mission to Wewak. (13 total)
August 21, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (14 total)
September 4, 1943 - over Huon Gulf - 1 Kawasaki ki-48 Lily bomber shot down over the Huon Gulf. (15 total)
September 16, 1943 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (16 total)
October 1(?), 1943 - United States - 30-day leave
October 23, 1943 - Swissvale, Pennsylvania - Thomas J. Lynch marries his college girlfriend, Rosemary Fullen
December 15, 1943 - While in the United States - The 39th Fighter Squadron is moved to Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea
January 1(?), 1944 - Nadzab Airfield, New Guinea(?) - Lynch returns to the Southwest Pacific
January 27, 1944 - Gusap Airfield, New Guinea - 39th Squadron moves to Gusap Airfield, New Guinea
February 14, 1944 - Wewak Area - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (17 total)
February 15, 1944 - off Cape Hoskins, New Britain - Covering Major Richard Bong while he downed a "Tony" on a flight back from an escort mission to Kavieng
February 28, 1944 - Wewak, N. Papua New Guinea - Covering Major Richard Bong while he destroys a japanese transport full of officers on the runway at Wewak
March 3, 1944 - 2 japanese aircraft shot down. (19 total)
March 5, 1944 - 1 japanese aircraft shot down. (20 total)
March 8, 1944 - over Aitape Harbor, N. Papua New Guinea - Without aerial opposition that day, Bong and his friend and mentor Tom Lynch fire at 6 barges, one of which is destroyed. When the two pilots come around for a second pass, Thomas J. Lynch is hit on one of his engines and crashes in the jungle, jumping too low for his parachute to work properly =(END)
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