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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 319th BS  90th BG c1943 |
Pilot Captain Roy W. Olsen, O-437592 C.O. 319th BS (MIA / KIA) Black Hawk County, IA Crew 1st Lt Thomas H. Durkin, O-662252 (MIA / KIA) Lake County, IL Crew 2nd Lt. Kenneth F. Strong (MIA / KIA) Alameda County, CA Crew 2nd Lt. Russell R. Setterblade, O-733474 (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL Crew TSgt Robert F. Cole, 39083490 (MIA / KIA) Fresno County, CA Crew TSgt Robert K. Enders, 6911395 (MIA / KIA) Vigo County, IN Crew SSgt Frank A. Hudspeth, 34257651 (MIA / KIA) Forsyth County, NC Crew SSgt Harold Muscato, 37112939 (MIA / KIA) Marshall County, IA Crew SSgt William C. Simon, 19074237 (MIA / KIA) Seattle, WA Crashed June 23, 1943 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Consolidated in San Diego. Constructors Number 483. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-1-CO Liberator serial number 41-23688. Ferried via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) "Jolly Rogers", 319th Bombardment Squadron (319th BS) "Asterperious" at Iron Range Airfield. Nicknamed "Pelly-Can" in a cursive font with the nose art of a pelican bird with three bombs inside its open beak and a large bomb under the left wing on both the left and right sides of the nose. On each side of the nose below the cockpit canopy was a scoreboard with bomb markings indicating missions flown. Below were two rows of five (2x5) silhouettes of aircraft indicating aerial victory claims by gunners and two ship silhouettes indicating ships claimed as sunk. Mission History On June 23, 1943 took off from Fenton Airfield piloted by Captain Roy W. Olsen on a bombing mission against Makassar (Makasser). Prior to the bomb run, this bomber was rammed by Type 97 Carrier Attack Aircraft Mark 2 / B5M Mable piloted by Reserve Lt(jg) Yuji Kino with radio operator FPO 2/C Tsuruo Manabe from 932 Kokutai (932 Air Group) from Mandai Airfield. The Japanese plane crashed into the bomber's right wing causing it to break off and both planes to spiral downward and crashed. When this B-24 failed to return, the entire crew were listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Osamu Tagaya adds: "This was the first ramming victory in the Japanese Southwestern Area and the action was reported in a Combined Fleet All Forces Bulletin, the crew being awarded a posthumous double promotion of rank." Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Olsen earned the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster, British Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Purple Heart, posthumously. Durkin earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Libertyville, IL. Strong earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Setterblade earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Cole earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. Enders earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hudspeth earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Forsyth Memorial Park in Winston-Salem, NC. Muscato earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, posthumously. Simon earned the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, posthumously. References Note, other sources incorrectly state the ramming aircraft was a floatplane or Ki-27 Nate, both are incorrect. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Roy W. Olsen NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Thomas H. Durkin NARA War II Army Enlistment Records - Kenneth F. Strong NARA War II Army Enlistment Records - Russell R. Setterblade NARA War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert F. Cole NARA War II Army Enlistment Records - Frank A. Hudspeth NARA War II Army Enlistment Records - William C. Simon USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-1-CO Liberator 41-23688 "23688 (319th BS) rammed by floatplane [sic] over Maccassar Jun 23, 1943, SW Pacific" No Missing AIr Crew Report (MACR) was created for this loss American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Roy W. Olsen American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas H. Durkin does not list Purple Heart American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Kenneth F. Strong does not list Purple Heart American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Russell R. Setterblade American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert F. Cole American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert K. Enders American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank A. Hudspeth American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold Muscato American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William C. Simon FindAGrave - Capt Roy W Olsen (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Thomas H Durkin (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Thomas Hugh Durkin (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Kenneth F Strong (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt Russell R Setterblade (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - TSgt Robert F Cole (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - TSgt Robert K Enders (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSGT Frank A Hudspeth (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Frank A Hudspeth (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Harold Muscato (news, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt William C Simon (tablets of the missing) The Jolly Rogers (1981) pages XI-XII, 44 (June 23, 1943) Note, the account of [Roy] Olsen's last mission in The Jolly Rogers page 44 is reasonably correct but implies things that weren't quite as stated. He speaks of the armada [joint strike of 90th & 380th BG B-24's] approaching. In fact, the three 319th planes were some ten minutes ahead of the 380th contingent and we were separated by at least one mile. I, Sanxter, was second in line and behind Roy as we had planned. The Nate [sic, actually B5M1 "Mabel"] was seen by us, and I presume by Roy's crew, as it climbed out from the Makassar air strip. Noticing the fixed gear and only one plane we did not view it with any true alarm. The Jap climbed to our altitude ahead of us then moved to the left as he passed behind our lead plane, thus no attack was made on him. Suddenly the Nate turned sharply to his left coming in behind Olsen and far in front of us. His maneuver was obviously unfriendly but still we did not see any firing at him although he should have been an easy target for the tail gunner or right waist gun as he approached the B-24. In any case we were momentarily stunned to watch the Nate fly directly into the wing of Roy's plane just outboard of the number four engine. Predictably the wing came off as did one from the Nate with both going down together in tight spirals. We didn't actually see the splash because we were now too busy preparing for our bomb run ... The sight of Roy and crew going down was particularly grievous to me because I had been the co-pilot of his crew from Willow Run to Iron Range." Thanks to Osamu Tagaya and 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
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