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| RAF No. 160 Squadron Former Assignments 301 FTU |
Pilot P/O Joseph "Joe" Cohen, 401104 RAAF (MIA / KIA) Tel Aviv, Palestine Co-Pilot F/O Taverner "Tam" R. Pallet, 120793 RAFVR (MIA / KIA) Surrey, UK Navigator Frank "Slim" Somerville, 1381952 RAFVR (MIA / KIA) Middlesex, UK Wop/AG W/O Lloyd "Moose" Munsen, R/73269 RCAF (MIA / KIA) New Brunswick, Canada A/G Sgt Arthur J. N. Owen, 1377681 RAFVR (MIA / KIA) London, UK A/G Sgt Francis "Junior" Naylor, 572011 RAF (MIA / KIA) Hampshire, UK A/G Sgt Fred "Blossom" Bloss, 1016941 RAFVR (MIA / KIA) A/G F/Sgt Henry Deeny, 1066646 RAFVR (MIA / KIA) UK MIA September 22, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego. Constructors Number 207. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-CO Liberator serial number 41-11711. Wartime History On September 23, 1942 delivered to the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a Liberator III serial number FL9391 at Dorval Airfield in Canada. On September 29, 1942 departs Dorval Airfield on a flight bound for the United Kingdom. On October 8, 1942 arrives Prestwick Airfield in Scotland and undergoes Special Mission Coastal Command modifications. On November 22, 1942 assigned to No. 160 Squadron with fuselage code M. On January 8, 1943 assigned to 301 Ferry Training Unit (301 FTU) and flown via India to Ceylon. On January 31, 1943 returned to No. 160 Squadron and converted for long range photographic reconnaissance missions. During the middle of September 1943 installed bomb bay fuel tanks for extended range. Mission History On September 22, 1943 took off from Sigiriya Airfield on Ceylon piloted by P/O Joseph Cohen on a photographic reconnaissance mission over the Nicobar Islands. Over the target, intercepted by A6M Zeros claimed one Zero shot down before this bomber was shot down in the vicinity of Car Nicobar over the Bay of Bengal. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Officially, this plane was stricken off charge on September 24, 1943. In fact, nine A6M Zeros from 331 Kokutai (Air Group) took off from Sabang Airfield on a scramble mission to intercepted this Liberator. In an extended engagement, the Zeros shot down the bomber but four Zeros returned with bullet holes and A6M Zero pilot P.O. Yukio Nanao was shot down. Afterwards, a Japanese radio broadcast stated that a B-24 was shot down over Car Nicobar and also reported one Japanese fighter was lost in the engagement. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. Cohen is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 429. He is also memorialized at Australian War Memorial (AWM) on panel 120. Pallet is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 423. Somerville is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 425. Munsen is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 430. Owen is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 415. Naylor is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 425. Bloss is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 425. Deeny is memorialized at Kranji War Cemetery on the Singapore Memorial on panel 425. References Some sources list as Liberator GR.V incorrectly. USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-CO Liberator 41-11711 RAF Commands - Liberator III FL939 WW2 Nominal Roll - Joseph Cohen, 401104 CWGC - Joseph Cohen FindAGrave - Pilot Officer Joseph Cohen (Singapore Memorial photo) FindAGrave - Joseph Cohen (AWM) CWGC - Taverner Richard Pallet FindAGrave - Fl Off Taverner Richard Pallet (Singapore Memorial) CWGC - Frank Somerville FindAGrave - Flt Sgt Frank Somerville (Singapore Memorial) CWGC - Lloyd Allison Munsen CWGC - Arthur James Newnham Owen FindAGrave - Sgt Arthur James Newnham Owen (Singapore Memorial) CWGC - Francis Edwin Naylor FindAGrave - Sgt Francis Edwin Naylor (Singapore Memorial) CWGC - Fred Bloss FindAGrave - Sgt Fred Bloss (Singapore Memorial) CWGC - Henry Deeny FindAGrave - Flt Sgt Henry Deeny (Singapore Memorial) The Liberator in RAF and Commonwealth Service (2007) mentions this loss Zeros Over the Bay of Bengal 1943–1944 by Richard Dunn Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated December 25, 2025 |
 B-24  MIA 8 Missing |
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