Bombardier  1st Lt. Walter J. Patykuls
Navigator  1st Lt. Benjamin Franklin Edwards
Engineer  1/Lt. Henry W. Warde
Left Gun  Cpl. Harold J. Schroeder
Radar  S/Sgt. Carl T. Wells
Right Gun  Sgt. Thomas M. Goffrey
Ring Gun  Cpl. Robert E. Abel
Radio  Sgt. John A. Wright
Tail Gun  S/Sgt. James P. Corrigan
Observer  Col. Byron Brugge
MIA  December 3, 1944

Mission History
Approximately 1416 local time a Hamp came from high one o'clock, attack the lead ship which was 1 Victor 534. Hits were observed on inside of No. 2 engine. Two large pieces of metal were observed flying off either from No 2 nacelle or inner wing. Shortly after this the lead ship feathered No. 4 engine, then unfeathered it and feathered No. 3, engine. By this time there was smoke mixed with gasoline trailing over left inner wing panel. As soon as No. 3 engine was feathered, the lead ship lost so much speed it fell behind the formation.

Last sighting of 1 Victor 534 in distress was by the right blister gunner. The wheels were down, bombay doors open (possibly partial), black smoke was coming from the feathered engine on right side and either the No. 2 engine or the left inner wing funel was aflame. The plane was in 30 degree dive, with five to twelve enemy fighters carrying on continuous attacks. When last seen, the A/C 1 Victor 534th in distress was in the northern part of the city at an altitude of twenty four thousand fee on a heading 80 degrees." - Major Van Tright MACR 10458

There were 12 crewmen on board the Rosalia Rocket, the same plane that my Uncle was Navigator on. According to the Appendix for Case History #064, signed by John A. Reitze 2nd Lt., QMC, the Japanese reported seeing a B-29 crash on 3 December 1944 near Omigzwa, Chiba Prefecture, JapanThree men were seen jumping from the plane. These three men all landed near the Jindai-Muri village home office. One man was reported to be dead when he landed; another was seriously burnt; and the third landed safely. Japanese military authorities took all these men away. No one in the village knew where they were taken. Japanese military authorities while investigating the crash on 4 December discovered the remains of another airman. His body was removed but no one in the area knew what was done with the remains. On 5 December 1944 another body was taken from the wreckage and buried in the cemetery at Jindai-Muri.

This body was re-interred in USAF Cemetery Yokohama #1 as Unknown X-376 Three cremated remains were interred at the Military Mausoleum in Sakura-machi on 5 December 1944. These boxes were inscribed, "3 December 1944 - Plane Type B-29 - Spirit of Unknown American Flyers". These three men were said to have been removed from the plane which crashed at Omigawa. These three cremated remains were re-interred in USAF Cemetery Yokohama #1 as Unknown X-161, X-162, and X-163. The remains of three men who were supposed to have died in a B-29 crash on 3 December 1944 were disinterred at Chiba, Chiba Prefecture on 1 April 1946 by this Unit. These men's names, according to Japanese records were Wright, Wells and Wall (there was no Wall in this crew.) Although the government closed the case and declared PFD (presumptive finding of death) pursuant to the then Missing Person's Act, his remains were never found and questions still abound as to what indeed happened to him. If anyone knows something additional, please contact me.

Relative
Jen Bauer (Great Niece of Benjamin Franklin Edwards)

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