Aircraft History
Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Delivered to the U. S. Army. This aircraft had a radar mounted in the fuselage.

Wartime History
Assigned to the 2nd Sea Search Attack Squadron assigned to Project Number 96189R. This B-24 departed the the United States on October 1, 1943 and flew overseas via Hawaii and Australia before arriving at 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby on October 21, 1943. Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 43rd Bombardment Group, 63rd Bombardment Squadron. No known nose art or nickname.

Prior to the final mission, this B-24 was fueled with 230 gallons for a maximum of 12 hours of flying time. Loaded into the bomb bay were six 1,000 lbs bombs with 1/10 second delay nose fuse and a 5 second tail fuse. Also, four flares for night illumination. When lost R-1830-43 engines serial numbers 42-62706, 42-62962, 42-62548 and 42-87001. Weapon serial numbers not noted in Missing Air Crew Report 1069 (MACR 1069).

Mission History
On November 5, 1943 took off from Dobodura Airfield on an armed reconnaissance mission to shadow a ten vessel convoy off Kavieng. At 11:35 the B-24 was instructed by radio by the ATF to shadow the convoy to the limit of their fuel supply. At 12:40am the B-24 radioed: "Three direct hits on a CL [Light Cruiser] or CA [Heavy Cruiser], 0.3005 15100E target destroyed". A final message from the B-24 was received by TSgt Carl P. Huff at 1:20am: "Turn on radio range". No further messages were received. When this B-24 failed to return it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA).

Search
At 10:00am B-24D #093 of the 43rd BG, 64th BS took off from Dobodura Airfield and searched for the missing bomber without result.

Wreckage
Discovered by local people at 10,800' in the Sarawagget Range, near the village of Imon, roughly 45 miles north of Lae. Reported to the US military.

Investigated by US Army CILHI during July - August 2003. Site PP0088. Again visited during 2004 by JPAC team led by Captain Paul Royale. The bomber's five day clock shows that it crashed at 1:21am, a minute after its last radio call.

During July 2006, the military announced that the crew of nine were all identified, and returned to their families for burial.

Memorials
Officially the entire crew was declared dead on January 15, 1946. Memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

After the recovery and identification of remains, the crew were buried different cemeteries.

On July 19, 2006 five of the crew were buried in a group burial at Arlington National Cemetery. The burial included remains that could not be specifically matched to any of the missing airman, and were buried at section 60 site 8464 including Hafner, Armacost, Cameron, Lascelles, Eppright, Hill Cameron, Cisneros and Feucht.

The following crew members have individual burials at Arlington National Cemetery. Hafner at section 60 site 8466. Lascelles at section 60 site 8465.

The remains of the other five crew were buried in their hometown cemeteries. Raymond Cisneros was buried in Webster, TX. Feucht at Glen Rest Memorial Estates section B. Hill at Ft. Still National Cemetery at section 30 site 44. Cisneros at Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster TX.

Relatives
Nancy Wilson (granddaughter of Cisneros)

References
Missing Air Crew Report 1069 (MACR 1069) was prepared on November 6, 1943
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator 42-40972
ABMC list "remains recovered" for the entire crew
63 years of wondering ends as widow buries World War II pilot July 17, 2006

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Last Updated
June 15, 2020