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| USAAF 20th AF 9th BG 1st BS  USAAF c1945 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Raymond F. Malo, O-675100 (MIA / KIA) Danville, IL Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Edwin Mockler, O-827816 (MIA / MIA) Park Falls, WI Navigator 2nd Lt. Bernard S. Bennison, O-520247 (MIA / KIA, BR) Sausalito, CA Bombardier 2nd Lt. Leo R. Eschman, O-927490 (MIA / KIA) Warren, OH Engineer TSgt George T. Carr, 19071381 (MIA / KIA) Bozeman, MN Radio SSgt James G. Cox, 17125015 (MIA / KIA) Merriam, KS CFC SSgt Allan K. Hill, 19190662 (POW, died MIA / KIA) Eureka, CA Left Gunner Sgt James J. O'Neil, 33420433 (MIA / KIA) Pittsburgh, PA Radar-Gunner Sgt John Casara, 36692262 (MIA / KIA, BR) Chicago, IL Tail Gunner Sgt Walter R. Odgers, 13127876 9th BG, 5th BS (MIA / KIA) Avoca, PA Right Gunner Cpl Kenneth E. Logan, 36756060 (MIA / KIA, BR) Elmwood Park, IL MIA April 15, 1945 MACR 14278 Aircraft History Built by Boeing. Constructors Number 7300. Delivered to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-29A-10-BN Superfortress serial number 42-65280. Flown overseas operate from North Field on Tinian Island. Wartime History Assigned to the 20th Air Force (20th AF), 9th Bombardment Group (9th BG), 1st Bombardment Squadron (1st BS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines DW 203765, DW 201310, DW 201274 and DW 201366. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns makers unknown serial number 1297160, 1299927, 1266027, 1265894, 1299350, 1541225, 1038141 and 1288702. Mission History On April 15, 1945 took off from North Field piloted by 1st Lt. Raymond F. Malo on a night bombing mission against Kawasaki on Honshū in Japan. The weather was 4/10 cumulus cloud base at 1,800' with wind 60° at 15 knots with visibility over 15 miles. For unknown reasons, crashed into the sea off Hashirimizu in Kanagawa Prefecture bordering Tokyo Bay. When this bomber failed to return the entire crew was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Only Sgt Allan K. Hill managed to bail out and was captured by the Japanese. According to Missing Air Crew Report 14278 (MACR 14278) page 3, on April 15, 1945 at 6:10am, Cpl Herman J. Meyers from the 77th Service Group ground station believed they heard a QUG (I am forced to land immediately) transmission from Victor 12. Although unconfirmed, it might have been from this aircraft. Fates of the Crew At least one of the crew able to parachute out and landed safely. The others are presumed to have gone down with the bomber and died in the crash. The sole survivor, Sgt Allan K. Hill was captured by the Japanese and became a Prisoner Of War (POW). He was not officially listed as a prisoner and was detained at Tokyo Military Prison. During the night of May 25, 1945 to May 26, 1945 a large formation of 464 B-29s bombed the urban area of Tokyo causing huge fires across the city and burned the Tokyo Military Prison killing many detained Americans including Hill. Afterwards, the remains of the prisoners killed in the fire were buried in a mass grave marked with white crosses. Despite his remains being buried, he remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Search Afterwards, the search for this missing bomber was coordinated by Lt. Commander Gilbert L. Congeon, U. S. Navy liaison officer assigned to the 313th Bomb Wing, Air Sea Rescue. It is unknown if any specific search missions were ever flown to search for this bomber or the crew. Recovery of Remains Postwar, the remains of at least crew members Bennison, Casara and Logan were recovered and transported to the United States for permanent burial. Memorials The crew (with the exception of Hill) were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Malo, Mockler, Eschman, Carr, Cox, Hill and O'Neil on court 7. Malo earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Mockler earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Nola Cemetery, Park Falls, WI. Bennison Fort Snelling National Cemetery at C-6, 0, 8163. Eschman has a memorial marker at Saint Marys Cemetery in Warren, OH. Hill earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. He died in the fire at the Tokyo Prison Fire on May 26, 1945 and afterwards his remains were buried at the prison in a mass grave marked with a white cross. Despite his remains being buried, he remains listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Eschman earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Casara has an unknown burial, likely in his hometown in the United States. Odgers earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Abington Hills Cemetery in South Abington, PA. Logan earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. He was buried at Rock Island National Cemetery at section E, site 139. References Previously, on March 4, 1945 pilot 1st Lt. Raymond Malo piloting B-29 "Dina Might" 42-65280 made the first emergency landing at Motoyama No. 1 Airfield (South Field) on Iwo Jima. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Allan K. Hill NARA World War II Prisoners of War Data File does not list Hill as an official POW USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-29A-10-BN Superfortress 42-93893 "93893 (9th BG, 1st BS) crashed from unknown cause in sea near Hashirimizu Kanagawa, Japan Apr 15, 1945 while on mission to Kawasaki, Japan. MACR 14278. 10 crew killed, one bailed out and became POW." Missing Air Crew Report 14278 (MACR 14278) created April 17, 1945 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Raymond F. Malo American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edwin Mockler American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Leo R. Eschman American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - George T. Carr American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James G. Cox American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Allan K. Hill American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James J. O'Neil American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Waler R. Odgers FindAGrave - 1Lt Raymond F Malo (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Edwin Mockler (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Edwin “Pete” Mockler (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Bernard S Bennison (photos, group burial photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Leo R Eschman (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Leo R Eschman (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - TSgt George Thomas Carr (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSgt James G Cox (photo, memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Allan King Hill (photos, courts of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt James J O'Neil (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Walter R Odgers (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Walter Odgers, Jr (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - CPL Kenneth Eugene Logan (photo, grave photo) 9th Bombardment Group (VH) History (1st, 5th, and 99th Squadrons) A B-29 Superfortress Unit in World War II (1995) page 137 (crew photo) Contribute
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 B-29  MIA / POW 8 Missing 1 Prisoner |
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