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| USAAF 5th AF 5th BC Former Assignments 90th BG 320th BS    90th BG c1943-1944  AAP-AP April 1982  Bruce Hoy 1982  Justin Taylan 2000  Daniel Leahy 2005 |
Pilot 2nd Lt Robert E. Allred, O-679012 22nd BG, 19th BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Fort Des Moines, IA Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Raymond J. Geis, Jr., O-815308 345th BG, 499th BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Chicago, IL Navigator 2nd Lt Keith T. Holm, O-752491 22nd BG, 19th BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Hugo, CO Passenger S/Sgt Robert C. Thompson, 34394642 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Anniston, AL Passenger Sgt Clint P. Butler, 16939262 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Little Rock, AR Passenger Sgt Stanley C. Lawrence, 20656522 38th BG, 822nd BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Eau Claire, WI Passenger Capt Charles R. Barnard, O-734785 43rd BG, 64th BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Wadsworth, OH Passenger Sgt Charles Samples Jr., 15069733 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Swithers, WV Passenger 2nd Lt Stanley G. Gross, O-744980 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Chicago, IL Passenger T/4 Joseph E. Kachorek Jr., 33170120 U.S. Army, 5th Field Hospital (MIA/KIA, BR) Milwaukee, WI Passenger 2nd Lt Charles R. Steiner, O-749103 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Justus, OH Passenger Cpl Joseph B. Mettam, 39109096 345th BG, 500th BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Selam Beach, CA Passenger 2nd Lt Melvin F. Walker, O-737508 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Racine, WI Passenger Pfc Carlin E. Loop, 37495005 U.S. Army, 565th Signal Air Warning Battalion (MIA/KIA, BR) Salina, KS Passenger 2nd Lt Emory C. Young, O-811487 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Good Hope, IL Passenger 1st Sgt Harold T. Atkins, 19018763 U.S. Army, 670th AAA MG Battery (MIA/KIA, BR) MT Passenger 1st Sgt Weldon W. Frazier, 6282510 U.S. Army, 665th AAA MG Battery (MIA/KIA, BR) Palestine, TX Passenger SSgt Thomas J. Carpenter Jr., 07080836 USAAF, 5th BC (MIA/KIA, BR) Georgiana, AL Passenger SSgt Frank Ginter, 20283103 U.S. Army, 102nd AAA Battalion (MIA/KIA, BR) Buffalo, NY Passenger SSgt William M. Shrake, 35092402 USAAF (MIA/KIA, BR) Mooresville, IN Passenger SSgt John J. Staseowski, 31007362 38th BG, 823rd BS (MIA/KIA, BR) Holyoke, MA Passenger 2nd Lt Harvey E. Landrum, O-679759 71st TRG, 82nd TRS (MIA/KIA, BR) Burkburnett, TX Crashed March 22, 1944 MACR 4090 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego at a cost of $297,627.00. Order number AC-20290 using funds F-1. Constructors Number 2158. On June 26, 1943 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-130-CO Liberator serial number 42-41081. On June 30, 1943 flown to Tucson, Arizona. On July 12, 1943 flown to Love Field. On July 14, 1943 flown to Biggs Field. On August 7, 1943 flown to Palm Springs Army Airfield. On August 26, 1943 departs California on a flight to Hickam Field then modified by the Hawaiian Air Depot (HAD) into a B-24D1 variant and completed by September 15, 1943 then flown across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History On September 21, 1943 assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF). By late September 1943 assigned to 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) "Jolly Rogers", 320th Bombardment Squadron (320th BS) "Moby Dick". Nicknamed "Weezie" with double quotation marks around the nickname and a white shadow. The tail had the group's "Jolly Rogers" motif of a white skull with crossed bombs. During March 1944, assigned to 5th Bomber Command Replacement Center (V Bomber Command Repl Center) at 7 Mile Drome (Jackson) near Port Moresby. When lost, engines R-1830-42 serial numbers 42-89550, 42-87462, 42-36724 and 42-87484. Armed with ten .50 caliber machine guns, makers and serial numbers not listed in Missing Air Crew Report 4090 (MACR 4090). Mission History On March 22, 1944 took off from 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 2nd Lt Robert E. Allred on a courier flight bound for Nadzab Airfield. Aboard were three crew and nineteen passengers. Pilot Allred and navigator Holm both from 19th BS were serving a month of detached service as air crew flying for 5th Bomber Command Replacement Center. The weather was a high overcast in the vicinity of Nadzab and Dobodura. When this B-24 failed to arrive it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Officially, condemned miscellaneous, non-combat. Search On March 27, 1944 search aircraft flew between 7 Mile Drome eastward to Hood Point and northward to Dobodura searching for the missing B-24 without result. Wreckage In fact, this B-24 crashed at an elevation of 8,500' into a ridge on Mount Thumb (Mt. Thumb) in the Owen Stanley Range, likely hidden by cloud cover. Everyone aboard was killed on impact. During the early 1980s, the wreckage was first discovered by villagers from Manumu including Bobie Fekima while bird hunting. In early 1982, PNG Museum modern history department curator Bruce Hoy had a hunch that a World War II plane crashed in the vicinity of Manumu and sent his assistant Charles Obi on a charter flight to Manumu Airport. Asking the locals, he learned there was a balus (plane) that crashed three hours away and when he returned informed Hoy. In March 1982, Hoy wrote to U.S. Army CILHI requesting the Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) associated with five missing B-24s, including this bomber which he believed was lost near Port Moresby. Remains Recovery Between April 23-29, 1982, the crash site was investigated by U.S. Army CILHI led by Col. Rosenberg with Sgt David Kelly and Sgt Jay Warner plus PNG Museum Bruce Hoy and Charlie Obi. During the investigation, remains were recovered. Later these remains were identified and returned to the United States for permanent burial. From the crash site, artifacts were recovered for the PNG Museum collection. Salvaged items including a tail stabilizer with the serial number "241081" and the Jolly Rogers motif of a white skull with crossed bombs. Also, a piece of the nose with shark mouth markings and other small artifacts including an unopened bottle of Quink Ink, hair oil, flying jackets, parachute, binoculars, pens, watches, bayonets, four Colt .45 pistols, and a .50 caliber machine gun without the barrel. On July 2, 1983, Bruce Hoy and Peap Tomon from the PNG Museum plus author Susan Sheehan flew by helicopter to the crash site and camped on site. The next day while showing Susan around the crash site, Bruce Hoy observed additional human remains at the site and collected them. Later, these remains were turned over to U.S. Army CILHI. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. As the flight was non-combat, none of the crew or passengers earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. After the remains of the crew were recovered and identified, a rosette was added next to each of their names. Allred is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at Section V grave 931-B. Geis is buried at Fort Sheridan Cemetery in Highwood, IL. Holm has a memorial marker at Kimball Cemetery in Kimball, NB. He is also memorialized on his parents grave at Kimball Cemetery. Thompson is buried at Roopville City Cemetery in Roopville, GA. Butler is buried at Little Rock National Cemetery in Little Rock, AL at plot 15A grave 268. Lawrence has a memorial marker at Lakeview Cemetery in Eau Claire, WI Barnard earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Air Medal. He is buried at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri. Samples was buried February 2, 1983 at Arlington National Cemetery at section 12, site 8206. Gross is buried at Fort Sheridan Cemetery in Highwood, IL. Kachorek is buried at Saint Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee, WI at section 6, block 52, row 11. Steiner is buried at Union Lawn Cemetery in Navarre, OH. Mettam is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, CA at plot P grave 2905. Walker has a memorial marker at Graceland Cemetery in Racine, WI in section 6. Loop was buried on March 5, 1983 at Gypsum Hill Cemetery in Salina, KS at plot Blk 18, Lot 13, Space 01B Young is buried at Good Hope Cemetery in Good Hope, IL at section 8. Atkins has a memorial marker at Carrington Cemetery in Carrington, ND Frazier is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Oakwood, TX. Carpenter is buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Georgiana, AL. Ginter is buried at Forest Lawn in Buffalo, NY at section 14, lot 1-A, space 500. Shrake is buried at Centerton Cemetery in Centerton, IL. Staseowski has a memorial marker at Mater Dolorosa Cemetery in South Hadley, MA. He is also memorialized on a World War II memorial marker in Holyoke, MA. Landrum was buried on February 5, 1983 at Kilgore City Cemetery in Kilgore, TX at plot A. Display After the recovery of remains, Bruce Hoy created an exhibit at the PNG War Museum in Gordons in the indoor gallery. The display including the upper portion of the tail stabilizer with the U.S. Army serial number "241081" and the skull portion of the 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) "Jolly Rogers" motif plus artifacts recovered from the crash site. In 2015, when the Gordons branch closed, the exhibit was removed and items displayed were placed into storage at the main branch of the National Museum & Art Gallery (NMAG). Bruce Hoy adds: "The tail on display in Port Moresby off 42-41081 is not the original tail off that aircraft. One can still discern the original serial number under '241081' the numerals of which are not painted in the same manner as the usual military method of painting serial numbers. The entire tail unit has been replaced off another B-24, a slightly newer example. A photograph of the tail on its original aircraft taken in flight has been published in at least one book. 2nd Lt Harvey E. Landrum was an unmanifested passenger listed as AWOL and carried thus for years. I am not certain if there was an amendment to his records which stated that he may have been on 42-41081, so you would need to see his casualty file as well as the MACR. His remains were designated X19A. His sister moved into her parent's house, and the Army only found her as she had not got around to changing the telephone listing, as her father's name was also Harvey." Relatives Keith Holm (nephew of Keith T. Holm) References Individual Aircraft Reference Card (IARC) B-24D 42-41081 USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-130-CO Liberator 42-41081 Missing Air Crew Report 4090 (MACR 4090) created March 28, 1944 NAA Liberator - Missing U.S Aircraft [Part 2] NAA: A9845, 290 page 8 (42-41081) RAAF Survey of Aircraft Wreckage, Papua and New Guinea page ? "#464 | Lat 04.20 Long 152.09 | Rabaul Area [sic] | USAC Liberator B-24D 42-41081 | Missing Rabaul area [sic]" NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert E. Allred American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert E. Allred "recovered" FindAGrave - 2LT Robert Edward Allred (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Robert Edward Allred (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Raymond J. Geis, Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Raymond J. Geis, Jr. "recovered" FindAGrave - 2LT Raymond John Geis Jr. (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Raymond J. Geis, Jr (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Keith I. Holm sic middle initial T. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Keith T. Holm "recovered" FindAGrave - 2LT Keith Truman Holm (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Keith Truman Holm (photo, grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert C. Thompson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert C. Thompson "recovered" FindAGrave - SSGT Robert Charles “Charlie” Thompson (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Robert Charles "Charlie" Thompson (photo, letters, grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Clint P. Butler American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Clint P. Butler "recovered" FindAGrave - SGT Clint P Butler (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Clint P. Butler, Jr (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Stanley C. Lawrence American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stanley C. Lawrence "recovered" FindAGrave - Sgt Stanley Charles Lawrence (tablet of the missing photo, tail photo) FindAGrave - Stanley C. Lawrence (memorial marker photo, news) date incorrectly listed as Mar. 21 1944 NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles R. Barnard American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles R. Barnard "recovered" FindAGrave - Capt Charles R Barnard (tablets of the missing photo) date incorrectly listed as Jul. 22, 1944 FindAGrave - Capt Charles Richard Barnard (grave photo, obituary) Chippewa Herald-Telegram "Hallie couple 'shocked, happy' at news of relative's remains found after 39 years" January 20, 1983 page 3 NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles Samples Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles Samples Jr. "recovered" Arlington National Cemetery Explorer (ANC Explorer) Charles Samples, Jr (grave photos) FindAGrave - Sgt Charles Samples Jr. (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Charles Samples, Jr (Arlington National Cemetery grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Stanley G. Gross American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stanley G. Gross "recovered" FindAGrave - 2Lt Stanley G Gross (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt Stanley G Gross (grave photos) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Joseph E. Kachorek Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph E. Kachorek Jr. "recovered" FindAGrave - Tec4 Joseph E Kachorek, Jr (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Tec4 Joseph Edward Kaczorek Jr. (grave photo, news) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles R. Steiner American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles R. Steiner "recovered" FindAGrave - 2LT Charles Robert Steiner (phtotos, news, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Charles Robert Steiner (grave photos) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Joseph B. Mettam American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph B. Mettam "recovered" FindAGrave - CPL Joseph B Mettam (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Joseph B Mettam (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Melvin F. Walker NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Melvin F. Walker American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Melvin F. Walker "recovered" FindAGrave - 2Lt Melvin F Walker (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Melvin F. Walker (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Carlin E. Loop "recovered" FindAGrave - PFC Carlin E Loop (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Carlin E Loop (photo, grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Emory C. Young American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Emory C. Young "recovered" FindAGrave - 2LT Emory C Young (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Emory C Young (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold T. Atkins "recovered" FindAGrave - 1Sgt Harold Atkins (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 1Sgt Harold T Chotena Atkins (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Weldon W. Frazier "recovered" FindAGrave - 1SGT Weldon Walter Frazier (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt. Weldon Walker Frazier (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Thomas J. Carpenter Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas J. Carpenter Jr. "recovered" FindAGrave - SSGT Thomas Jiles Carpenter Jr. (news, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Thomas Jiles Carpenter Jr (news, grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Frank Ginter American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank Ginter "recovered" FindAGrave - SSgt Frank Ginter (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Frank Ginter (grave photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William M. Shrake American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William M. Shrake "recovered" FindAGrave - SSgt William Maurice “Billy” Shrake (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - William M. "Billy" Shrake (photo, memorial marker photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John Staseowski American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John J. Staseowski "recovered" FindAGrave - SSgt John J Staseowski (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSGT John J. Staseowski (photos, memorial maker photo) NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harvey E. Landrum American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harvey E. Landrum "remains have been recovered" FindAGrave - 2Lt Harvey E Landrum (news, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Lieut Harvey E Landrum, Jr (news, grave photos) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator 42-41081 Bruce Hoy Diary - March 15, 1982 Bruce Hoy Diary - March 16, 1982 Bruce Hoy Diary - March 17, 1982 Bruce Hoy Diary - March 18, 1982 Bruce Hoy Diary - April 2, 1982 People Weekly Magazine "A New Guinea jungle yields its grisly secret, and the men of bomber 081 come home at last" by John Saar with John Dunn and Stu Glauberman February 7, 1983 pages 30-33 via Wayback Machine April 26, 2023 A Missing Plane (1986) by Susan Sheehan details the history, discovery, recovery and identification of the crew Victoria Advocate "Bodies of 22 U.S. Soldiers Finally Located" by Christopher Connell (AP) December 7, 1986 p 9 Warpath Across The Pacific (1996) pages 144 (March 22, 1944), 369 (March 22, 1944 42-41081 Geis & Mettam), 440 (index Geis), 444 (index Mettam) Revenge of the Red Raiders (2006) pages 230 (March 22, 1944), 479-480 (March 22, 1944 42-41081 Allred & Holm), 603 (index Allred), 611 (index Holm) Sun Setters of the Southwest Pacific Area (2011) pages AII-9 (March 22, 1944 Staseowski) Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume II (2019) pages 355 (March 22, 1944 Barnard), 440 (index Barnard) Thanks to Bruce Hoy, Bobie Fekima, Niki Bobie and Keith Holm 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 July 17, 2025
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 B-24  Photo Archive  MIA 22 Missing Remains Recovered |
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