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| USAAF 5th AF 19th BG 93rd BS  John Kirkpatrick 2008 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Claude N. Burcky, O-417245 (survived) Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Augustin J. Rapisardi, O-438650 (survived) Essex County, MA Bombardier 2nd Lt. Donald C. Miller, O-42644 (survived) Navigator 1st Lt. William F. Meenagh, O-372623 (MIA / KIA) NY Crew Sgt. Lloyd H. Chamberlain, 6554507 (survived) Churchill County, NV Crew Pvt John W. Naglich, Jr., 14066421 (survived) Crew SSgt Norris T. Reynolds, 20814112 (survived) Lubbock County, TX Crew Sgt Lawrence A. Johnson, 14021680 (survived) Johnson County, NC Crew Sgt George Schmid, 6558573 (survived) Crashed September 17, 1942 MACR 650 Aircraft History Built by Boeing at Seattle. Constructors Number 2461. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17E Flying Fortress serial number 41-2650. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 19th Bombardment Group (19th BG), 93rd Bombardment Squadron (93rd BS). No known nickname or nose art. This B-17 flew combat missions from Garbutt Airfield near Townsville staging via 7 Mile Drome at Port Moresby. On July 27, 1942 one of nine B-17s that bombed Buna. Mission History On September 17, 1942 at 11:00pm (Mission S. M. 9/17) took off from Garbutt Airfield at Townsville piloted by 1st Lt. Claude N. Burcky as one of four B-17s on a bombing mission against Rabaul. After departing, the formation encountered bad weather and became separated and lost. This B-17 radioed "We are lost and we are all going to bail out". The entire crew successfully bailed out near the Coen River on the Gulf of Carpentaria in the vicinity of Weipa. Search On September 19, 1942 a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) PBY-5 Catalina A24-2 searched for this aircraft. On September 20, 1942 they located the wreckage near the Coen River. The Catalina landed and rescued four survivors transported them to Cairns. Another four crew members wandered into the bush. On September 21, 1942 the Catalina returned and landed at Weipa Mission to check if the other four might have arrived at the mission. Still missing, nine Aboriginal trackers were taken by the Catalina to the crash site. The four were found on a mud flat, and the Catalina landed to collect them but the tide had gone out leaving the Catalina stuck in the mud. Once the tide came in, they took off for Cairns with the final four survivors. Three of the crew were hospitalized afterwards Burcky, Johnson and Schmid. Meenagh was never found and remains Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials Meenagh earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the on the tablets of the missing. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Augustin J. Rapisardi NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Lloyd H. Chamberlain NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John W. Naglich, Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Norris T. Reynolds NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Lawrence A. Johnson USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17E Flying Fortress 41-2650 "2650 (19th BG) crew bailed out Sep 18, 1942 near Mappoon Mission, Cape York. 1 MIA." Oz @ War "Crash of B-17E north-north west of Weipa" by Peter Dunn Thanks to Edward Rogers for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 19, 2021
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 B-17  MIA 1 Missing |
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