Aircraft History
Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Delivered to the U.S. Army. Ferried overseas via Hawaii to Australia.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 90th Bombardment Group, 320th Bombardment Squadron. Nicknamed "Pudgy". When lost, engines R-1830-43 serial numbers 42-4286612, 42-86627, 42-86739, 42-86831.

Mission History
On December 1, 1943 took off from 5 Mile Drome (Wards) near Port Moresby on a bombing mission against bombed Wewak Airfield dump area, escorted by P-47s. Weather was clear with scattered clouds with good visibility.

After dropping their bombs, approximately ten minutes later the formation was intercepted by a pair of enemy "Zeros" , actually Ki-43 Oscars. from 12 o'clock high over land. The first hit this B-24's engines, damaging two of them then dived below the formation. Another Ki-43 attacked from above and behind and shot out the tail turret, causing the gunner to fall out without a parachute. Another crew member bailed out from the waist camera hatch and was strafed by the enemy fighters while descending. Over water, 8-11 more of the crew bailed out in succession and a group of four were strafed by the fighters.

This B-24 was last seen heading towards land at about 1,000' losing altitude under control. Believed to have crashed ten miles west of Murik near Karau. Eight crew members seen to bail out.

A total of three B-24s were lost this mission. This aircraft plus B-24D "Ten Knights in a Bar Room" 42-72806 and B-24D "Pistol Packin' Mama" 42-41209.

Memorials
All crew members were declared dead as of January 22, 1946. All are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at the Manila American Cemetery.

Smith has a memorial marker at Brooklyn Memorial Cemetery at Block VII lot 58 in Brooklyn Iowa.
Twitty has a memorial marker at Sikeston City Cemetery in Sikeston, Missouri.
Stewart has a memorial marker at Black Hills National Cemetery at section MA Site 29 in Sturgis, SD.
Waite has a memorial marker at Erie Cemetery in Erie, IL.
Gotcher has a memorial marker at Rose Hill Cemetery in Fayetteville, TN.

References
Missing Air Crew Report 1316 (MACR 1316)
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator 42-40830
Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group (1994) pages 89, 90
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lawrence N. Smith
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George M. Dempster
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry M. Stoll
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Kenneth E. Twitty
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Daryl M. Stewart
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John H. Lenaghan
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Paul D. Waite
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William C. Gotcher
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Carl A. Canady
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Sidney L. Baggett
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William H. Bundy
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Mercy Rendon, Jr.
FindAGrave - Capt Lawrence Smith (memorial photo)
FindAGrave - Capt Lawrence N Smith (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - George MacPherson Dempster (photos, tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - 1Lt Harry M Stoll (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - 1Lt Kenneth E Twitty (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - Kenneth Elwood Twitty (memorial photo)
FindAGrave - FltOff Daryl M Stewart (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - Daryl Mern Stewart (memorial photo)
FindAGrave - TSgt John H Lenaghan (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - TSgt Paul D Waite (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - TSgt Paul D Waite (memorial marker)
FindAGrave - William Carroll Gotcher (memorial marker photo)
FindAGrave - SSgt William C Gotcher (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - SSgt Carl A Canady (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - Sgt Sidney L Baggett (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - SSgt William H Bundy (tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - SSgt Mercy Rendon, Jr (tablets of the missing)
Thanks to Daniel Leahy for additional information

Last Updated
December 10, 2024