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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF 5th AF 3rd BG 89th BS Former Assignments NEIAF No. 18 Squadron |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Francis C. Pruitt, O-442230 (MIA / KIA) LA Crew 2nd Lt. Cornelius F. O'Leary, O-649101 (MIA / KIA) MA Crew SSgt Roger S. Martin, 11014927 (MIA / KIA) NH Crew S/Sgt Roland C. Noyes, Jr., 18010733 (MIA / KIA) TX MIA November 16, 1942 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as A-20A Havoc serial number 40-155. Disassembled and shipped overseas to Australia and reassembled. Wartime History On June 12, 1942 one of four A-20As that arrived at Fairbairn Airfield near Canberra. Assigned to the Netherlands East Indies Air Force (NEIAF) as A-20A Havoc serial number 22. Assigned to No. 18 Squadron. Two days later, all four were withdrawn and returned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 3rd Bombardment Group (3rd BG), 89th Bombardment Squadron (89th BS). Nicknamed "Abijah Gooch". Mission History On November 16, 1942 took off from Cairns Airfield pilot 2nd Lt. Francis C. Pruitt on a flight bound for Port Moresby. This aircraft failed to arrive and the crew were declared Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was declared dead the day of the mission. Since the flight was deemed non-combat, none of the crew members earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Noyes also has a memorial marker at Old City Cemetery in Galveston, TX. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - A-20A Havoc 40-155 "155 (3rd BG, 89th BS, 'Abijah Gooch') lost somewhere between Australian and New Guinea Nov 16, 1942" American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Francis C. Pruitt American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Cornelius F. O'Leary American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Roger S. Martin American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Roland C. Noyes, Jr. FindAGrave - 1Lt Francis C Pruitt (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Cornelius F O'Leary (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Roger S Martin (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Roland C Noyes Jr. (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Roland C Noyes Jr. (memorial marker photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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 A-20  MIA 4 Missing |
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