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Pilot 1st Lt. Willard K. Short, O-436009 (MIA / KIA) Hale County, TX, MA Co-Pilot 1st Lt. William S. Eichler, O-726207 (MIA / KIA) Providence, RI Navigator Captain Robert B. Kirkaldy, O-426906 (MIA / KIA) Boston, MA Bombardier MSgt Andrew Foti, 6706984 (MIA / KIA) Engineer TSgt Harry F. Orris, 13030110 (MIA / KIA) PA Radio SSgt John A. Coughlin, 31066154 (MIA / KIA) MA Gunner SSgt Jesse R. La Rue, 13023313 (MIA / KIA) PA Gunner Sgt Elmer Earl Brown Jr., 17024087 (MIA / KIA) Rock Springs, WY Gunner Sgt John I. Perry, 14038132 (MIA / KIA) GA MIA March 13, 1943 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Consolidated in San Diego. Constructors Number unknown. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) B-24D Liberator serial number 41-????? (five digits unknown). Ferried overseas to India. Wartime History Assigned to the 10th Air Force (10th AF), 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG), 9th Bombardment Squadron (9th BS). Squadron Number 21. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines R-1830 serial numbers unknown. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns makers and serial numbers unknown. Mission History On March 13, 1943 at 6:30am took off Pandaveswar Airfield in northeast India piloted by 1st Lt. Willard K. Short armed with five 1,000 pound bombs on a sea search mission against Japanese shipping in Gulf of Martaban but instead bombed the Pazundaung bridge over the Irrawaddy River near Rangoon in Burma (Myanmar). Just before the start of the bomb run, intercepted by seven Ki-45 Nicks from 21st Hiko Sentai, 2nd chutai that took off from Mingaladon Airfield to intercept and made 15 to 20 coordinated attacks against the formation from 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock high with feints from the rear and side to confuse the gunners. Two B-24 were shot down and a third sustained moderate damage. The gunners aboard the B-24s claimed one shot down, one probable and several damaged. Damaged, this B-24 was seen to crash in the Gulf of Martaban (Gulf of Mottama). When this B-24 failed to return it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Also lost is B-24D Liberator pilot Captain Baldwin (MIA). At 6:00pm the two remaining B-24s returned landing at auxiliary airfield, one bomber returned with moderate damage including three wounded gunners, one died of wounds. Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Kirkaldy earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Eichler earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Short earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Foti earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Orris earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Coughlin earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. La Rue earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He is also memorialized at Hyndman Cemetery in Hyndman, PA. Brown earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Perry earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William S. Eichler, Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert B. Kirkaldy NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harry F. Orris NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John A. Coughlin NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Jesse R. La Rue NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Elmer E. Brown Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John I. Perry No Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) was created for this loss Missing Air Crew Report 16245 (MACR 16245) created retroactively circa April 1946 for B-24D Liberator pilot Captain James W. Baldwin details the same mission 10th AF Weekly Intelligence Summary for Week ending March 20, 1943. Numbered D-212 page 2 via Richard Dunn "7. Rangoon Area. March 13th [1943], a formation was attacked from 5 to 7 I-45 [Type 2 Two-Seat Fighter / Ki-45 Toryu (Nick)] fighters just before the start of the bomb run. 15 to 20 well coordinated attacks were made. The majority of the attacks were made from ward upper positions, 1 and 2 o'clock, passing below formation, or between the lead airplane and no. 4 airplane. Effective use was made of feints from rear and from the sides, causing top turrets to be turned in wrong direction for actual attacks on several occasions. Our losses were 2 B-24D's crashed in the sea, some of the crews believed to have survived the crashes; 1 gunner killed and 2 wounded on third B-24 which received moderate damage. Enemy losses: 1 destroyed, 1 probably destroyed, and several damaged." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Willard K. Short FindAGrave - 1LT Willard Keith Short (tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William S. Eichler, Jr. FindAGrave - 1Lt William S Eichler Jr. (tablets of the missing) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert B. Kirkaldy FindAGrave - Capt Robert Burns Kirkaldy (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - CPT Robert Burns Kirkaldy (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - CPT Robert Burns Kirkaldy (photo, Massachusetts National Cemetery photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Andrew Foti FindAGrave - Andrew Foti American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry F. Orris FindAGrave - Harry F. Orris American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John A. Coughlin FindAGrave - John A. Coughlin American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jesse R. La Rue FindAGrave - SSgt Jesse Raymond La Rue (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Jesse R. LaRue (memorial marker) Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) - Elmer E. Brown Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Elmer E. Brown FindAGrave - Sgt Elmer Earl Brown Jr. (photo, tablets of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John I. Perry FindAGrave - Sgt John I Perry (tablets of the missing photo) Thanks to Richard Dunn 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 22, 2025
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