USAAF
5th AF
345th BG
501st BS
Justin Taylan 2003
Pilot 2/Lt Delmar L. Wichmann, O-742399
Co-Pilot 2/Lt Warren W. Everett, O-738126
Radio S/Sgt George R. Belchik, 16070703
Engineer S/Sgt Fred A. Clayton, 14125311
Gunner S/Sgt Edgar D. Faulkner, Jr., 19170027
Photgrapher S/Sgt William J. Hogan, 19033171
Crashed May 21, 1944
Mission History
The last time this plane was seen at approximately 0951 at the east end of Dagua
Airstrip, about three quarters of the way through a strafing run. Hit by anti-aircraft fire,
the bomber crashed 3/4 of a mile off the end of the runway. Crews returning to base reported a fire arid black smoke about 3/4 mile southeast of Dagua, and some of the men stated it might possibly be a crashed airplane. This was later confirmed by searching aircraft, and this plane, which was still burning at 1515, was identified by the markings as a 501st Bomb Squadron aircraft. It was the opinion of the pilots of the search mission that it would have been impossible for any crew members to have survived the crash.
Recovery
The
tail
section
had broken
off and was seportated from the rest of the plane. The tail wase recovered in 1974 and transported
to Tadji. There, it was
attached to B-25C "Feather Merchant" 41-12442, for a WWII memorial
at Aitape.
Charles
Darby Adds:
"Strange that I went to all the trouble of getting fin and rudder assemblies from [this] shot-down B-25
at Dagua, then found the
original assemblies buried in sand on the last
day of the work, long after we had taken the bomber down
to
the school."
Relatives
Andy Decker (relative of Everett)
References
Warpath Across The Pacific pages 65, 92, 98, 126, 214, 369, 397, 397, 414
B-25
MIA
