Mission History
On November 27, 1943 took off from 17-Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 1st Lt. John M. Wieland on a mission against Wewak. The weather was good with unlimited visibility. Over the target, this B-25 was hit by anti-aircraft fire that damaged the left aileron and adjacent wing section and the left elevator and rudder were shot off. This B-25 was observed to crash into the sea at 11:30 a.m. roughly 1.5 miles north of Cape Boram. Two witnesses in other planes in the formation said the plane hit hard, bounced up, and smashed down again; a third witness said the plane hit hard once but settled gently the second time.

Fates of the Crew
The crew was listed as missing in action after the mission, and no other information was known. During April of 1944, short-wave operators heard Tokyo radio broadcast Sharpton's name and his parents' home address, and say he was a POW. Yet, he never appeared on any of the prisoner lists nor was there any other information about him.

Memorials
The entire crew were officially declared  dead on January 15, 1946. Each member of the crew earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. All are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

Wilson also has a memorial marker at Violet Hill Cemetery in Perry, IA.
Woollenweber also has a memorial marker at Mount Zion Cemetery in Wheeling, WV.
Sharpton also has a memorial marker at Harmony Grove United Methodist Church Cemetery in Auburn, GA.

Relatives
Joy Neal Kidney (niece of Dale R. Wilson)
"Usually, S/Sgt. Joseph E. Sidebottom flew as gunner. Sidebottom was not on the November 27 mission.  He was replaced with Ted Sharpton for his first (and last) combat mission.  My grandmother wrote and sent Christmas cards to Ted Sharpton's mother until they died in the 1980s, both in their nineties. His family still isn't sure if he was fished out of the Pacific, held and killed, or if he died in the crash and the Japanese somehow found his body and dog tags."

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25G-5 Mitchell 42-64889
"64889 (38th BG, 823rd BS) shot down by AAA and crashed into sea off"
"64889 (38th BG) lost Nov 27, 1943, New Guinea."
Missing Air Crew Report 1177 (MACR 1177)
PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-25G Mitchell 42-64889
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John M. Wieland
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Dale R. Wilson
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John R. Stack
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stanley W. Banko
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Irvin E. Woollenweber
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Willie T. Sharpton
FindAGrave - 1Lt John M Wieland (photo, tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - 2Lt Dale R Wilson (photo, obituary, tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Dale Ross Wilson (photo, obituary, memorial marker)
FindAGrave - 2Lt John R Stack (photo, tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - SSgt Stanley W Banko (photo, tablets of the missing)
FindAGrave - SSgt Irvin E Woollenweber (photos, tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Irvin E. Woollenweber (memorial marker photo)
FindAGrave - SSgt Willie Ted Sharpton (photo, tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Willie Ted Sharpton (photo, memorial marker photo)
Thanks to Joy Neal Kidney for additional information.

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Last Updated
November 29, 2018