|  |
|
| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
| Chronology | Locations | Aircraft | Ships | Submit Info | How You Can Help | Donate |
|
| USAAF 20th AF Headquarters  USAAF 1944 |
Pilot Major General James E. Parker, O-12309 C.O. 20th AF (MIA / KIA, BR) Anniston, AL Engineer SSgt John W O'Hab, 32449998 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) Essex County, NJ Passenger Col. George V. Holloman, O-16331 (MIA / KIA, BR) Rich Square, NC Passenger Captain Robert F. Hutchinson, O-724943 (MIA / KIA, BR) Passenger 1st Lt. Walter J. Littlefield, O-864676 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) Franklin County, NY Passenger 1st Lt. Charles C. Carlton, O-736837 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) GA Passenger 2nd Lt. William H. Humlong, O-839590 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) Dallas, TX Passenger 2nd Lt. Frank H. Moyer, O-784912 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) Braddock, PA Passenger SSgt William O. Davisson, 15346311 (MIA / KIA, BR) Anderson, IN Passenger Pvt Samuel J. Spence, Jr., 12249534 20th AF, HQ (MIA / KIA, BR) Watertown, NY Crashed March 19, 1946 at 11:00am MACR 15495 Aircraft History Built by by Douglas at Long Beach. Constructors Number 32420. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-17G-95-DL serial number 44-83779. Wartime History Assigned to the 20th Air Force (20th AF), Headquarters Squadron (HQ). No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines R-1820-97 serial number unknown. Mission History On March 19, 1946 at 8:00am took off from Kiangwan Airfield near Shanghai in China piloted by Major General James E. Parker on an administrative flight bound for Nichols Field in the Philippines scheduled to arrive at 3:06pm. Aboard were personnel from 20th Air Force (20th AF), Headquarters Squadron (HQ). The weather was rain and fog and the pilot reported Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flying conditions. The only radio report was at 10:30am reporting their position as 180 miles east of the coast of China. Last seen over Formosa (Taiwan) around 11:00am. When this plane failed to arrive it was declared Missing In Action (MIA). Search When this B-17 failed to arrive, that same day an immediate search was made under the direction of Pacific Air Command based in Manila using approximately 29 planes flying from Clark Field plus B-29s and B-17s from the 20th Air Force (20th AF) that were flown to Okinawa and operated under the direction of the 8th Air Force (8th AF) plus U.S. Navy (USN) planes. Search efforts continued on March 20, 1946. Wreckage In fact, this B-17 crashed at an elevation of approximately 2,250' below the peak of a mountain near Hokusekiko (Hokuseikiko) on northern Formosa (Taiwan) and burned on impact. That same day, locals first visited the crash site on a mountain near Sokei and recovered a bundle of clothing. They reported the discovery to the local police who informed the U.S. Formosa Repatriation Group at Kiirun (Keelung). That evening, a search party guided by the locals who made the initial discovery left at night but were caught in a storm halfway up the steep mountain trail and forced to wait until the next morning. On March 20, 1946 in the morning the team reached the crash site. They found the bomber strewn over an area of approximately 200 square yards with the cockpit and forward section 50 yards from the peak of a 2,400' mountain and the tail section roughly 150 yards downslope. Recovery of Remains On March 20, 1946 during the initial search team recovered eight including Parker and were transported to Taihoku (Taipei). On March 21, 1946 a second search team from Clark Field trekked to the crash site and found and recovered another body. On March 26, 1946 another team trekked to the crash site and found and recovered the tenth body. Although the bodies were partially burned, they were all positively identified by identification tags and laundry marks on clothing. Afterwards, the remains were transported to the Philippines and United States for permanent burial. Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead the day of the mission. Parker earned the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM), Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster and Bronze Star. He is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section A, row 7, plot 176. O'Hab is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section N, row 4, plot 173. Holloman earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for conducting the first instrument-only landing of an aircraft. He was buried October 21, 1948 at Arlington National Cemetery at section 12, grave 5399. On January 13, 1948 Alamogordo Army Air Base (Alamogordo AAF) was renamed Holloman Air Force Base (Holloman AFB) in his honor. Hutchinson has an unknown memorial, likely in his hometown in the United States. Littlefield is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section F, row 1, plot 79. Carlton is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section N, row 15, plot 67. Humlong is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section H, row 13, plot 109. Moyer is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section N, row 8, plot 174. Davisson is buried at Anderson Memorial Park in Anderson, IN. Spence is buried at Manila American Cemetery at section N, row 5, plot 43. He also has a memorial marker in Calvary Cemetery in Watertown, NY at Section 1, Lot 59 next to his parent's graves. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John W. OHab [sic O'Hab] NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Walter D Littlefield NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles C. Carlton NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William H. Humlong USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-17G-105-VE Flying Fortress 44-83783 "779 crashed due to bad weather at Hokuseikiko, Formosa Mar 19, 1946. MACR 15495." Missing Air Crew Report 15495 (MACR 15495) created retroactively circa 1946 "B-17 Wreck Found Gen. Parker Pilot" by Associated Press (AP) March 22, 1946 lists B-17 as bound for Manila. U.S. Air Force Biographies - Major General James Edmund Parker (photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James E. Parker FindAGrave - MAJ GEN James Edmund Parker (photos, grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John W. O'Hab FindAGrave - SSgt John W O'Hab (grave photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - George V. Holloman FindAGrave - COL George Vernon Holloman Sr. (grave photos) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Walter D. Littlefield FindAGrave - Walter D Littlefield (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles C. Carlton FindAGrave - 1Lt Charles C Carlton (photo, grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William H. Humlong Jr. FindAGrave - 2Lt William H Humlong Jr. (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank H Moyer FindAGrave - 2Lt Frank H Moyer (grave photo) FindAGrave - William Owen Davisson (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Samuel J Spence Jr. FindAGrave - Pvt Samuel J Spence Jr. (grave photos) FindAGrave - Pvt S. John Spence (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 January 16, 2026 |
 B-17  MIA 10 Missing Resolved |
| Discussion Forum | Daily Updates | Reviews | Museums | Interviews & Oral Histories |
|
