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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 400th BS  USAAF c1945 |
Pilot Captain Hans H. Williams, O-798626 (MIA / KIA) Luther, IA Co-Pilot 1st Lt Elmo McCarty, O-2058842 (MIA / KIA) MS Engineer TSgt Stephen D. Baldwin, 31381429 (MIA / KIA) CT Radio TSgt Gerald S. Dolan, 37701966 (MIA / KIA) Boulder, CO Passenger 1st Lt Jack M. Petrosillo, O-776018 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Passenger 1st Lt John B. Lawson, O-783095 (MIA / KIA) OR Passenger 1st Lt Joseph E. Tierney, O-2065855 (MIA / KIA) CT Passenger 1st Lt Robert E. Bartel, O-2037312 (MIA / KIA) IL Passenger 2nd Lt Dean R. Kendall Jr., O-830121 (MIA / KIA) CO Passenger MSgt Walter V. McCarty, 14039796 (MIA / KIA) MS Passenger TSgt Joseph X. Dunayczan, 36591345 (MIA / KIA) MI Passenger TSgt Ralph I. Miller, 37570278 (MIA / KIA) MN Passenger SSgt Charles E. Bacon, 37708854 (MIA / KIA) CO Passenger SSgt James J. Barnett, 19005311 (MIA / KIA) OR Passenger SSgt Joseph A. Gooley, 13080512 (MIA / KIA) NJ Passenger SSgt Edward J. Jonikas, 36751329 (MIA / KIA) IL Passenger SSgt John K. Shryock, Jr, 13200206 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger SSgt Franklin L. Van Beek, 17029851 (MIA / KIA) MS Passenger Sgt Wade A. Little, 35301841 (MIA / KIA) OH Passenger Cpl Harold A. Bedrick, 12085966 (MIA / KIA) NY Passenger Cpl William F. Erickson, 13154176 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger Cpl Thomas M. Knight, 14049667 (MIA / KIA) NC Passenger Cpl Thomas F. Ward, 12041327 (MIA / KIA) NJ Passenger Pfc Arthur R. Harring, 32827105 (MIA / KIA) Plains, PA MIA June 6, 1945 MACR 14608 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in San Diego. Constructors Number 5418. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24L-5-CO Liberator serial number 44-41482. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 90th Bombardment Group (90th BG) "Jolly Rogers", 400th Bombardment Squadron (400th BS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines R-1830-43 serial numbers: a) CP-307555, b) CP-311611 and c) 42-40885 and d) R-1830-65 serial number 42-87815. Armed with. 50 caliber machine guns serial numbers noted in Missing Aircrew Report 14608 (MACR 14608). Mission History On June 6, 1945 at 2:04pm took off from McGuire Field (San Jose) on Mindoro piloted by Captain Hans H. Williams on a courier flight bound for Floridablanca Airfield on Luzon. Aboard were twenty passengers from the 400th Bomb Squadron (400th BS). The weather was heavy showers off the western end of Mindoro. The circumstances for the loss are unknown. When the B-24 failed to return it was declared Missing In Action (MIA). Search In the morning of June 7, 1945 aircraft from the 310th Bomb Wing (310th BW) searched for the missing B-24 until June 11, 1945 without results and the search was abandoned. Memorials The crew and passengers aboard were officially declared dead the day of the mission. As this flight was deemed to be 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. Williams earned the Air Medal with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters. He also has a memorial marker at Linwood Park Cemetery in Boone, Iowa. McCarty earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He also has a memorial marker at Zion Hill Cemetery in Fouke, MS. Baldwin earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Dolan earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He also has a memorial marker at Veterans Memorial Cemetery of Western Colorado in Grand Junction, CO at section 2 row K site 26. Dolan earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Petrosillo earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Lawson earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart. Tierney earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Bartel earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. He also has a memorial marker at Bohemian National Cemetery in Chicago, IL. Kendall earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Dunayczan earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Miller earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Bacon earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. Gooley earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters. Jonikas earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters. Shryock earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24L-5-CO Liberator 44-41482 Missing Aircrew Report 14608 (MACR 14608) created June 8, 1945 (Page 7) Lists the destination as both Floridablanca Airfield and Clark Field, it is unclear which was the correct destination. Based on the form pages 2, 5 and map page 12 it seems the destination was Floridablanca Airfield. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Hans H. Williams FindAGrave - Capt Hans Harrison Williams (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Hans H. Williams (memorial marker photo) date of death in profile incorrectly listed May 6, 1945 [sic] American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Elmo McCarty FindAGrave - 1Lt Elmo McCarty (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Walter Van McCarty (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stephen D. Baldwin FindAGrave - TSGT Stephen Decatur Baldwin (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Gerald S. Dolan FindAGrave - TSGT Gerald Stephen Dolan (photo, tablets of the missing photo, news) FindAGrave - TSGT Gerald Stephen Dolan (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - TSGT Gerald Stephen Dolan (photo, Veterans Memorial Cemetery memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jack M. Petrosillo FindAGrave - 1Lt Jack Michael Petrosillo (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John B. Lawson FindAGrave - 1Lt John Bernard Lawson (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph E. Tierney FindAGrave - 1LT Joseph Edward Tierney (photo, tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert E. Bartel FindAGrave - 1Lt Robert Edward Bartel (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Dean R. Kendall Jr. FindAGrave - Dean R. Kendall Jr. (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Walter V. McCarty FindAGrave - MSgt Walter Van McCarty (photo, tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph X. Dunayczan FindAGrave - TSgt Joseph X Dunayczan (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ralph I. Miller FindAGrave - TSgt Ralph Ivan “Bud” Miller (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles E. Bacon FindAGrave - Charles E. Bacon (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Charles Edgar Bacon (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James J. Barnett FindAGrave - SSgt James Jon Barnett (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Joseph A. Gooley FindAGrave - SSgt Joseph A Gooley (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward J. Jonikas FindAGrave - Edward J. Jonikas (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John K. Shryock Jr. FindAGrave - SSgt John Knight Shryock Jr. (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Franklin L. Van Beek FindAGrave - SSgt Franklin Lee Van Beek (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Franklin L Van Beek (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Wade A. Little FindAGrave - Sgt Wade A. Little (photo, news, tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold A. Bedrick FindAGrave - Corp Harold Albert Bedrick (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William F. Erickson FindAGrave - Corp William Frank Erickson (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas M. Knight FindAGrave - CPL Thomas Marion Knight (photo, tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission - Thomas F. Ward FindAGrave - Corp Thomas F Ward (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission - Arthur R. Harring FindAGrave - PFC Arthur Robert Harring (tablets of the missing) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated August 27, 2026 |
 B-24  Map June 6, 1945  MIA 24 Missing |
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