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| USAAF 5th AF 345th BG 500th BS Former Assignments 3rd BG 90th BS  Piper 1943  90th BS Sept 27, 1943  345th BG 1944 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Allen W. Lay, O-759625 (MIA / KIA, BR) Kansas City, MO Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. James O. Burgess, O-753325 (MIA / KIA) Munford, GA Navigator 2nd Lt. Arthur L. Greger (MIA / KIA, BR) Lott, TX Engineer-Gunner SSgt John Turner (MIA / KIA, BR) Fredericksburg, VA Radio-Gunner SSgt Raymond A. LaBoy, 12060434 (MIA / KIA, BR) New York, NY Gunner SSgt Ray S. Walker (MIA / KIA, BR) Trenton, AR Crashed September 2, 1944 at 11:25am MACR 15337 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 87-8443. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25D-10 Mitchell serial number 41-30278. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 3rd Bombardment Group (3rd BG) "The Grim Reapers", 90th Bombardment Squadron (90th BS). Nicknamed "Shy-Baby" in white block letters with a hyphen on the right side of the nose. The front of the nose had the squadron's shark mouth motif. Below the cockpit was a scoreboard on the left side of the nose with bomb markings indicating missions flown. Converted into a B-25D-1 strafer variant by the 4th Air Depot at Garbutt Field at Townsville. On September 27, 1943 flew a low level strike against shipping in Victoria Bay bordering Kairiru Island. Over the target, took a photograph at low level over Taisei Maru with B-25D-1 "Feather Merchant 2" 41-30246 overhead. On November 29, 1943 assigned to the 345th Bombardment Group ((345th BG) "Air Apaches", 500th Bombardment Squadron (500th BS) "Rough Raiders". Nicknamed "Hell's Fire" in yellow block letters on each side of the nose and retained the scoreboard and shark mouth motif. On the right side of the nose was "Lucky Andy". In early 1944 assigned to pilot 2nd Lt. Joseph A. Gautreau who often flew with co-pilot 2nd Lt. Frederick W. Dick. Around March 1944 the squadron's mustang motif was painted on the tail with a vertical white stripe around the center of fuselage, forward of the top turret. Mission History On September 2, 1944 took off piloted by 2nd Lt. Allen W. Lay as one of thirteen B-25s from three squadrons on a strike mission against Langoan Airfield on Celebes (Sulawesi). When fighter escort did not rendezvous with the formation, they diverted to the secondary target of enemy installations along Lembeh Strait. Arriving the target, the formation spit up with six B-25 striking Lembeh and Minelayer Itsukushima anchored at the southwest entrance that returns anti-aircraft fire. During the attack, two B-25s were damaged and B-25D "Mexican Spitfire" 41-30592 was damaged and ditched roughly 7 miles to the northeast of Lembeh Island (Lahben). Observing the ditching, this B-25 circled the plane as as the crew exited. While circling the downed crew in the Lembeh Strait three Zeros arrived with two intercepting this B-25 and the third strafing the downed crew. At 11:25am this bomber was chased and gradually decended until it crashed and exploded at the base of Mount Tongkoko on the northeast tip of Celebes (Sulawesi). When the plane failed to return it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Recovery of Remains Postwar, the remains of the crew were recovered and buried at American Military Cemetery Barrackpore. During 1949, exhumed and transported to Hawaii and the United States for permenant burial. Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead the day of the mission. Lay was buried June 20, 1949 at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section Q site 579. Burgess earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA) and is memorialiazed at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. He also has a memorial marker at Alta Vista Cemetery in Gainesville, GA at Block WL, Lot 194. Greger is buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in section N-4-S. Turner is buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 34 site 1531. LaBoy is buried at Municipal Cemetery in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. Walker is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section Q site 1073. He also has a memorial marker at Trenton Cemetery in Trenton, AR. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. References Some sources list the pilot as Allan W. Lay [sic Allen] NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Raymond A. LaBoy USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25D-10 Mitchell 41-30278 Missing Air Crew Report 15337 (MACR 15337) created retroactively circa 1945-1946 Warpath Across The Pacific The Illustrated History of the 345th Bombardment Group During World War II (1996) pages 169 (map), 183-184 (September 2, 1944 photo), 217 (profile no. 19), 371 (September 2, 1944 crew), 392 (41-30278, 500th BS), 421-422 (profile no. 19 description), 441 (index Hell's Fire) FindAGrave - 2LT Allen W Lay (grave photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James O Burgess FindAGrave - 2Lt James O Burgess (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT James Osgood Burgess (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Arthur Lee Greger (photo, grave photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) does not list the grave of SSgt John Turner FindAGrave - SSGT John Turner (grave photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Raymond A LaBoy FindAGrave - SSgt Ray Steven Walker (grave photo) FindAGrave - Ray Stevens Walker (memorial marker photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated December 16, 2024
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 B-25  Photo Archive  Map Sept 2, 1944  MIA 1 Missing |
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