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| RAF No. 159 Squadron |
Pilot F/Sgt Allan Edward Arnold, 420112 RAAF (MIA / KIA) Lindfield, NSW Co-Pilot W/O Victor Ernest Whitehall, 1262742 (MIA / KIA) South Tottenham, UK Navigator F/Sgt Arthur Robert "Bobby" Burn, 1319428 (MIA / KIA) Middlesex, UK Radio F/O Bernard Clifton, 50589 (MIA / KIA) Yorkshire, UK Engineer F/Sgt John Henry Starmer Leak, 1682798 (MIA / KIA) Hull, UK Mid-Upper Gunner Sgt Ansel Ernest Blackburn Stout, 771563 (MIA / KIA) Bangalore, India Beam Gunner Sgt Charles Alfred George Plank, 1435434 (MIA / KIA) Liverpool, UK Beam Gunner Sgt Desmond Riversdale Anthony Burgess, 1659085 (MIA / KIA) Plymouth, UK Rear Gunner P/O Michael Ludlow Davis, J/86883 RCAF (MIA / KIA) Bombay, India Crashed February 29, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at Fort Worth, Texas. Constructors Number 308. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24J-1-CF Liberator serial number 42-64059. Ferried overseas to India. Wartime History Assigned to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a Liberator B.VI serial number BZ962. The tail turret was replaced with a British Boulton Paul turret. Assigned to No. 159 Squadron. Nicknamed "Daring Diana" with the nose art of a female figure. Mission History On February 29, 1944 took off piloted by F/Sgt Allan E. Arnold on a bombing mission over Rangoon. Over the target, this bomber was shot down by a pair of Ki-43 Oscars and exploded at low altitude and crashed. The remains of the crew were found and buried nearby by local villagers. The remains of two of the crew were not found. Wreckage During 1952, some wreckage was located. The remains of seven crew members were located 3,000 yards away from the crash and recovered, but not individually identified. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. The entire crew of nine are commemorated at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial. Clifton column 432, Burn column 434, Burgess column 435, Leak column 436, Davis and Whitehall column 443, Arnold column 444, Plank column 436. The seven of the crew recovered were buried individually at Rangoon War Cemetery at Plot 4, Row E, Graves 14 to 20. Each grave marker reads: "An Airmen of the 1939-1945 War, Royal Air Force, 29th February 1944, Known Unto God". References Matt Poole (step-son of Plank) "Through the PWD Discussion Forum I have linked up with Allen Hamilton, who is going to be traveling to the Rangoon area very soon. Given enough free time, he said he'd get out to the more or less exact site where the bodies of 6 crewmen from an RAF B-24 Liberator were buried after being shot down on 29 Feb 1944. My mother's first husband was one of the men on the aircraft. Even if nothing much materializes during Allen's visit, I feel compelled to thank you for your website. At least I have finally found someone who can go out to the site, which is near Rangoon. I just cannot go myself. So thanks for setting up your website and the Discussion Board and for giving me the opportunity to link up with Allen. This story is still evolving eleven years after I started researching." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24J-1-CF Liberator 42-64059 "64059 to RAF as Liberator B.VI BZ962. MIA on mission to Mahlwagon Mar 1, 1944." Burma Star Association - 159 Squadron RQUICK - Photo Request by Matt Poole page 1, 5 [PDF] Veterans Affairs Canada - Photo 2 of Michael Ludlow Davis CWGC - Allan Edward Arnold CWGC - Victor Ernest Whitehall CWGC - Arthur Robert Burn CWGC - Bernard Clifton CWGC - John Henry Starmer Leak CWGC - Ansel Ernest Blackburn Stout CWGC - Charles Alfred George Plank CWGC - Desmond Riversdale Anthony Burgess CWGC - Michael Ludlow Davis Thanks to Matt Poole 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 October 14, 2024 |
 B-24  MIA 9 Missing |
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