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USAAF 20th AF 58th BW 468th BG 793rd BS ![]() United Press 1944 |
Pilot Col. Ted S. Faulkner, O-021593 C. O. of the 468th BG, HQ (MIA / KIA) WA Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Maurice G. Eigler, O-805796 (MIA / KIA) Begley, IA Navigator Major Robert T. Arnoldus, O-412133 (MIA / KIA) OR Bombardier Major Harve N. Johnson, O-402914 (MIA / KIA) Chandler, OK Crew 1st Lt. Harry H. Peterson, O-862249 (MIA / KIA) Vineland, NJ Crew F/O Edward J. Kennedy, T-192545 (MIA / KIA) Medford, MA Radio Sgt William Glibbon, 36559274 (MIA / KIA) Fruitport, MI Crew Sgt Ward Miller, 11079089 (MIA / KIA) Greenwich, CT Left Waist Gunner SSgt Buster Westbrook, 38293607 (MIA / KIA) North Little Rock, AR Right Waist Gunner SSgt Hubert B. Gruber, 18216279 (MIA / KIA) Wiles, TX Tail Gunner SSgt Emerald T. Queen, 34243386 (MIA / KIA) South Petersburg, FL Passenger United Press John J. Andrew (MIA / KIA) Springfiled, IL MIA November 5, 1944 MACR 9577 Aircraft History Built by Boeing. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-29-15-BW Superfortress serial number 42-6370. Flown overseas to China-Burma-India (CBI). Wartime History Assigned to the 468th Bombardment Group (468th BG), 793rd Bombardment Squadron (793rd BS). Nicknamed "Lethal Lady". Mission History On November 4, 1944 at 8:30pm took off from Khargpur Airfield near Calcutta piloted by Col. Ted S. Faulkner as one of 53 B-29s on bombing mission against the King George VI Dock at Singapore. Aboard as a passenger was United Press correspondent John J. Andrew. On November 5, 1944 at 2:30pm while flying southeast over the Bay of Bengal over the Andaman Islands, this bomber sent out a radio message stating that an urgent message would follow then was never heard again. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Seekatz, a radio operator aboard another B-29 received an urgent radio call from this bomber at 20:30, but the message was never transmitted. Returning from the mission, other B-29 crew members saw an airplane explode and land on the sea at roughly Lat 11° 17' N, Long 94° 14' E approximately 75 miles off the Andaman Islands. Another B-29 crew member saw red and green flares at roughly the same position. Still another B-29 crew member reported seeing a life raft at a position slightly to the north of that bearing. Since only one bomber went missing returning from the mission, these observations must relate to this bomber. Search Thirty hours after the loss, American and Royal Navy aircraft searched for the crew over several days. One of the searching aircraft found three rafts tied together and partially submerged and empty. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on March 27, 1946. Civilian Andrew was officially declared dead on November 5, 1944. The U.S. Army Air Force crew members are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Faulkner earned the Legion of Merit, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster, posthumously. Eigler earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Willow Cemetery in Green County, Iowa. Arnoldus earned the Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Summerville Cemetery in Summerville, OR. Johnson earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart, posthumously. Peterson earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Kennedy earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Glibbon earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Fruitport Cemetery in Fruitport, MI. Miller earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Westbrook earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker in the Little Rock National Cemetery in Little Rock, AR at section MA site 27. Gruber earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Queen earned the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. When the disappearance of Andrew and the crew went public Maj. Gen. Curtis LeMay stated: "He was a good newspaperman, always on the spot ready to go when anything was happening. All of our crews that had a chance to meet him liked him. He was another newsman willing to risk his life to get a story for the American public." References World War II Army Enlistment Records - Edward J. Kennedy World War II Army Enlistment Records - Ward Miller World War II Army Enlistment Records - Buster Westbrook World War II Army Enlistment Records -Emerald T. Queen USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-29-15-BW Superfortress 42-6370 "6370 (58th BW, 468th BG, 793rd BS) crashed 75 mi off Andaman Islands in Bay of Bengal during mission to Singapore Nov 5, 1944. MACR 9577. All 11 crew killed." Amarillo Daily News "Dalhart Bomber Chief Missing" November 16, 1944 page 8 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ted S. Faulkner American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Maurice G. Eigler American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert T. Arnoldus American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harve N. Johnson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry H. Peterson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward J. Kennedy American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William Glibbon American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ward Miller American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Buster Westbrook American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Hubert B. Gruber American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Emerald T. Queen FindAGrave - Col Ted Sinclair Faulkner (photo, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Maurice E. Eigler (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Maurice Eugene Eigler (memorial marker) FindAGrave - Maj Robert Thermond Arnoldus (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Robert Thermond Arnoldus (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Maj Harve N Johnson (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Harry Hollingsworth Peterson (photo) FindAGrave - FltOff Edward J Kennedy (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt William Glibbon (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - William Glibbon (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Ward B Miller (photos tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Buster Westbrook (photos tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Buster Westbrook (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Hubert B Gruber (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Emerald T Queen (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - John Julian Andrew (photo) War Department Bureau of Public Relations Liaison Branch - 28 January 1946 via Wayback Machine January 31, 2019 - Andrew, John J. United Press India-Burma Missing on B-29 strike 5 Nov 44 Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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