Pilot  1st Lt. Harry O. Patteson (WIA)
Bombardier  2nd Lt. Duncan S. Hughes (KIA)
Crew  Sgt Berry (WIA)
Crew  2nd Lt. B.D. Davis (WIA)
Crew  Sgt Goldman (WIA)
Crew  2nd Lt. Hefstroe (WIA)
Crew  Pvt Williams (WIA)
Ditched  August 13, 1942

Aircraft History
Assigned to the 22nd BG, 2nd BS in March 1942 with crew cheif Anderson. Ferried overseas on 2nd Lt. Clarance E. McClaran arriving at Amberly Field on April 2, 1942. Flew a total of 14 combat missions, the first on April 9, 1942.

Misson History
Part of a flight of five 2nd BS B-26s which departed from Port Moresby to attack a Japanese convoy off Gona. Upon reaching the target area at 1515 hours, the Marauders split up and conducted individual bombing attacks from 7,000' against the Japanese convoy, none of which scored any hits. The Marauders had not regrouped into formation when they were attacked by the convoy escort force of eight Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai, led by Lt. Joji Yamashita. Three different Zeros made frontal attacks against Patteson's aircraft, damaging the right engine. Patteson ducked the plane into the nearby clouds and flew east-southeast down the coast, knowing that he couldn't get over the mountains to Port Moresby with a bad engine. After about sixty miles, the aircraft broke out of the clouds at 1,500', and the pilot headed for a stretch of beach but ended up landing in shallow water just off a sandbar in Porlock Harbor.

Crash Landing
The initial impact with the water tore away the radio compass housing below the navigators compartment, causing the engineer and navigator to be sucked out of the plane when the floor was ripped away beneath them. The engineer came up in the bomb bay, but Lt. Hughes ended up naked in the water behind the plane. One leg had been sheared off and he had severe lacerations on his body. Lt. Patteson found the man lying in the water and dragged him to the beach, where he quickly died. The survivors, all of whom were injured, spent the night on the sandbar next to the plane, hemmed in by a dense mangrove swamp along the shore behind the beach.

Rescue
An Australian Coast Watcher arrived with a group of natives at dawn the next morning and the airmen embarked in canoes for a nearby village. There the Australian summoned a flying boat, which arrived at dusk. A doctor aboard tended the injuries of the wounded, who were then loaded aboard early the next morning and flown to Townsville, arriving about noon the next day.

Wreckage
Don Fetterly reports:
"I dove this wreckage with Rod Peace. The wreckage was broken up from the crash, not much left to see with alot of silt."

Relatives
Christy Kucinski (granddaughter of Stanley J Kucinski):
"He was the radio operator of the 22nd Bomb Group 2nd squadron. He served from 1936 - 1944 when he was sent home due to some terrible accident. This accident affected him greatly having contributed to his suicide when he was 76. The thing is we in the family have no further information about his service or experience and we would really like to know more.

I have photos of my Grandfather. He is in front of a B-26 with the number 11 clearly visible and then a name scratched in. His badge on his bomber jacket exactly matches that of the Sally Rand crew. The name is barely visible but appears to be Sally Rand though Rand has an e on the end in this photo. I have another photo with my grandfather and his crew mates in front of this same plane. I know that my Grandfather was stationed out of Brisbane somewhere flying the B-26 as the radio man and after an incident he was sent home. He had severe mental issues after this and finally shot himself several years later as result of that incident. The military has provided a payment of disability to my Grandmother ever since. What I don't have are names of any of the crew or exact knowledge of the incident but the incident suffered by the Sally Rand as described here would fit however my Grandfather's name is not on the crew list. Ideas?

Take a look at this,

This is most of what I have. I'll attach also the photo of Sally Rand - I don't know if it was taken in CA before the planes were shipped to HI and re-assembled then re-assigned or what. I know my Grandfather was there, have the photos and discharge papers and whatnot which prove it we just can't figure out where exactly and with what plane at what time and with what crew. My husband is out of town but when he is back he can help me get bigger photos if you need.

References
Revenge of the Red Raiders page 110, 118, 122, 128-129, 175-176, 202, 316, 469, 491

Contribute Information