Marine Night Fighter Squadron 531 (VMF(N)-531) was activated on November 16, 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. On January 9, 1943 the squadron became part of the Fleet Marine Force and on April 1 was absorbed by Marine Aircraft Group 53 (MAG-53). The squadron took delivery of its first non-trainer aircraft, the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura on February 15. Responding to Japanese night attacks on Guadalcanal, MAG-53 was reassigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing on April 15, 1943 and was quickly ordered to deploy to the South Pacific as soon as possible. VMF(N)-531 was the first combat squadron to leave MCAS Cherry Point. After layovers in Hawaii and Espiritu Santo, the squadron finally arrived at Renard Field on Banika in the Russell Islands on September 11. Joining Marine Aircraft Group 21, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, the Grey Ghosts flew their first combat patrol on September 16 making them the first naval aviation night-fighter squadron to operate in the South Pacific. The first kill aided by GCI did not come until December 6. During their tour in the Pacific, the squadron operated out of fields in the Russell Islands, Vella Lavella and Bougainville. They accounted for 12 enemy planes shot down by 5 different crews, all at night, with a loss of 6 of their own aircraft and 17 crew members, none of them a result of enemy fire.

1stLt Clifford Watson was the pilot.
SSgt Jack Shirk was the radar operator.

WATSON, Clifford W, First Lieutenant, O-014776, USMC, from Kansas, Manila American Cemetery + WATSON, Clifford William, 14776, VMF(N)531, MAG-31, 4th MBDAW, FMF, Solomon Islands, February 9, 1944, accidental death + WATSON, Clifford W., 1st Lieutenant, USMCR. Mother, Mrs Laura G. Rodgers, Frankfort, Kans

Body Not Recovered

Clifford W Watson