Crew History
Four of the crew members: Meyer, Howard, Hargrove and Rose had visited Rabaul as part of a prewar B-17 delivery flight from Hawaii to the Philippines during November 1941.

Jim S. Grant had dream in 1942 about the name Owen Stanley mountains. Found name in atlas the next day. Robert R Meyer's family offered one million dollar reward to find wreck, but were discouraged by US Army's MACR says B-17 headed out to the Coral Sea. After their loss, the pilot's widow remarried (Mrs Fagen-Plover).

Mission History
On April 24, 1942 four B-17s, led by Major Montgomery mission took off from Cloncurry Airfield, and landed at Garbutt Airfield near Townsville to be briefed and bombs loaded. Departed Townsville mid-afternoon, the B-17s then landed at 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby in the early evening to avoid Japanese air raids. Planned departure was for 0330 hours next morning.

On April 25, 1942 took off from7-Mile Drome on a bombing mission against Rabaul. This B-17 was heard circling Port Moresby before heading away, but failed to return.

Wreckage
Cashed the mountains to the east of Port Moresby, 41-2505 crashed into the south-eastern upper slopes at 9,000' on Mount Obree.

During a search for another missing aircraft, C-47 "Flying Dutchman" 41-18564, this B-17 was seen from air, but identity of wreck was listed as unknown. The wreckage was described as complete from trailing edge to tail.

During March 1961, the wreck was again spotted from the air during a search for a missing Piaggio.

Recovery of Remains
On September 2, 1961 a US Army team consisting of Lieutenant Jospeh Wheeler and Sargeant Henry Paolillo arrived to identify several wrecks found during this era. They were sent to site by patrol officer David Marsh who gave erroneous information that it was a B-17 which a war correspondent had bailed out. The team reconnoitered the crash site as B-17 41-2505. But, they incorrectly had the aircraft listed as one that the crew bailed out and survived.

During 1984, Bruce Hoy (curator of Modem History at PNG National Museum) convinced the US military that this wreck was worthy of reexamination. Through assistance of villagers from Saunom, a helipad was constructed at 11,000' on a ridge above the wreck. Hoy made the first landing there by helicopter on June 15, 1986.

On July 5, 1986 US Army CILHI arrived with an eight man team. After establishing a campsite, the team began clearing the site and mapping the locations of the various parts of the aircraft. By early afternoon, the first portions of remains had been located. Three days were spent in searching the area, during which the remains of four others were located.

A second recovery mission was undertaken between June 19 - July 12, 1987. This team recovered the remains of the rest of the crew. The cockpit section was found in the bed of a small stream. In addition to further crew remains many personal belongings were recovered, including wallets, and camera with spare lenses, knives from Mindanao, and the remains of wrist watches. No dog tags were found. The cockpit clock was stopped at 0446.

An intact 50 caliber machine gun from the left waist gun was recovered from the aircraft. The CILHI EOD field stripped the weapon and on night and actually fired the gun over a ridge at night. Later, it was flown out and donated to the PNG National Museum.

Memorials
Officially declared dead a year later, the entire crew is memorialized on the tabelts of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

On November 15, 1990 after years of identification, crew were afforded a full military burial at the Arlington National Cemetery. Three of the crew could not be individually identified and were buried in a group burial. The other five were buried separately.

Relatives
Douglas Wilcox (nephew of Jim Grant)
"I was present along with other family members at Arlington National Cemetery in the internment of the crew that perished."

References
Thanks to Bruce Hoy and Brian Bennett for details on the discovery and recovery, and to Brian Bennett for the photograph. Also, Michael Kindig for information about Sgt. Carter.
ABMC lists this aircrew as killed on April 25, 1943, a year after the crash.
ABMC lists 'remains recovered' for all crew members
MACR 15500 incorrectly lists the loss location as 'Coral Sea'

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Last Updated
November 8, 2009

B-17

MIA
Resolved

Fortress on Mt. Obree
by Bruce Hoy