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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 320th BS |
Pilot 1st Lt. Harold M. Adams, O-435835 (MIA / KIA, BR) Bosque County, TX Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Alexander S. Dewar, O-790223 (MIA / KIA, BR) New York, NY Crew 2nd Lt. Truman C. Metcalf, O-726925 (MIA / KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA Crew 2nd Lt. Warren H. Sleeper, O-727930 (MIA / KIA, BR) San Francisco, CA Crew TSgt John P. Beecroft, 12039537 (MIA / KIA, BR) Erie County, NY Crew SSgt SSgt Paul E. Zogg, 35376189 (MIA / KIA, BR) WV Crew SSgt Sol Allen, 19079962 (MIA / KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA Crew SSgt William M. Gretka, 12044281 (MIA / KIA, BR) Oneida County, NY Crew SSgt Leonard H. Sooter, 39019029 (MIA / KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA Crashed December 18, 1942 MACR 15388 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Constructors Number 630. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-7-CO Liberator serial number 41-23835. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG), 320th Bombardment Squadron (320th BS). No known nose art or nickname. Mission History On December 18, 1942 at 4:00pm took off from Iron Range Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Harold M. Adams as one of five B-24s on a bombing mission led by Captain Roy W. Taylor against a Japanese convoy between New Guinea and New Britain. Inbound over the Owen Stanley Range of New Guinea, the flight experienced an afternoon build up of clouds and caused the formation to break up and severe turbulence, icing, up and down drafts that caused gyroscope failures. This B-24 was last seen entering the overcast. When this B-24 failed to return, the entire crew was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). In fact, this B-24 crashed roughly eight miles northwest of Bulldog. Due to the bad weather, One of the other B-24s aborted the mission and landed at Milne Bay. Only two B-24 found the convoy and bombed in the darkness claiming near misses. The other B-24 bombed Lae instead then landed at Milne Bay. Wreckage On December 27, 1943 the crash site was found by Australia New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) WOII E. G. Hicks as scattered wreckage over hundreds of yards near Bulldog Airfield. He correctly estimated the crash happened a year prior to his visit. At the crash site, he found a large unexploded bomb embedded in the ground. Recovery of Remains At the crash site, ANGAU WOII E. G. Hicks recovered and buried the remains of the crew. Later, these remains were recovered and postwar transported to the United States for permanent burial. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. Two of the crew are buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) Dewar at plot B grave 542 and Zogg at plot F grave 800. Adams is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Walnut Springs, TX. Six are buried in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 82 site 153 including Beecroft, Allen, Metcalf, Sleeper, Gretka and Sooter. Adams was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Walnut Springs, TX. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harold M. Adams NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Alexander S. Dewar NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Truman C. Metcalf NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Warren H. Sleeper NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John P. Beecroft NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Sol Allen NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William M. Gretka NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Leonard H. Sooter USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-7-CO Liberator 41-23835 Missing Air Crew Report 15388 (MACR 15388) created retroactively circa 1945-1946 Australia New Guinea Administrative Unit (ANGAU) War Diary January 1945 "Report of Patrol to Bulldog Drome and Kukukuku Villages: WOII. E. G. Hicks 10 January 1945 Tuesday 26 December 1943 - Boxing Day Departed from Nepa at 0730 hrs along a small stream, direction N.E. 50°. . . . At 100 hrs a small fragment of duraluminum, apparently from an aircraft, was discovered in the bed of the creek. A short distance upstream more fragments of wreckage were located among the rocks and along the banks. Leaving the slow moving carrier column I took one Constable and went ahead to look for further wreckage... Wednesday 27 December 1943 ... Meanwhile, the stream having subsided to its normal proportions, I decided to return upstream with two police in an effort to trace the wreckage to its origin. At 1030 hrs a large 14 cylinder radial engine was located in the bed of the stream while one pace away was a large unexploded bomb (2000 lbs?) semi-embedded in the gravel, percussion cap uppermost. . . . Looking North East from the point, one could see the large clearing on the mountainside where the aircraft had hit ; wreckage was scattered for hundreds of yards around the area. I would estimate that the crash occurred about 12 months ago. Identification and burial of remains of crew are dealt with in a special report on ‘Crashed Aircraft’ attached hereto. A sketch map of the locality, giving positions of graves, etc is also appended." FindAGrave - 1LT Harold M Adams (grave photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Alexander S Dewar (grave photo) FindAGrave - Truman C Metcalf (group bural photo) FindAGrave - Warren H Sleeper (group bural photo) FindAGrave - John P Beecroft (group bural photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Paul E Zogg (grave photo) FIndAGrave - Sgt Sol Allen (group bural photo) FindAGrave - William M. Gretka (group bural photo) FindAGrave - Leonard H Sooter (group bural photo) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator piloted by Adams Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group (1994) pages 27-28 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
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