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| USAAF 5th AF 374th TCG 22nd TCS  Cooper Dec 1943  Phil Bradley 2008 |
Pilot 2nd Lt William R. Crecelius, O-888625 (KIA, BR) Gibson County, IN Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John R. Rowell, O-810036 (KIA, BR) MI Engineer TSgt John L. Shupe, 13035323 (KIA, BR) Rural Retreat, VA Radio Sgt Robert S. Fazio, 12192190 (KIA, BR) Westchester County, NY Passenger Captain Orlen N. Loverin, O-730936 345th BG, 499th BS pilot (KIA, BR) Tulare County, CA Passenger 1st/Lt. George K. Snyder, O-443462 345th BG, 499th BS navigator (KIA, BR) Lycoming County, PA Passenger 2nd/Lt. William B. Graham, O-80087 (KIA, BR) Passenger TSgt Carlos M. Bane, 33181909 5th Airways and Comm Service Sqn (KIA, BR) Philadelphia, PA Passenger Capt. Robert J. Simons, O-50563 (KIA, BR) Passenger Major Hoyt A. Ross, O-350627 (KIA, BR) MN Passenger 2nd Lt. Rebecca M. Williams, N-724584 U.S. Army Nurse (KIA, BR) Punxsutawney, PA Passenger GM3c Jack Hayman Staggs, 03825977 USN (KIA, BR) CA Passenger CGM Frank J. Carline, 606-97-59 USN (KIA, BR) MA Passenger Lt. Wm. Samuelson, O-182874 USN (KIA, BR) Passenger WO(jg) Thomas Smith, W-2107140 U.S. Army Nurse (KIA, BR) GA Passenger 2nd Lt. Ernestine Koranda, N-547331 U.S. Army Nurse (KIA, BR) Lesterville, ND Passenger Chief Warrant Officer Herbert R. Johnson, W-2114898 U.S. Army (KIA, BR) Columbia County, NY Passenger Lt. Harry Gillies, O-2035039 (KIA, BR) Passenger Pvt Herbert J. Mathias, 35255439 U.S. Army (KIA, BR) Dubois, IN Passenger Sgt Charles F. Dolan, 32337024 U.S. Army (KIA, BR) Queens, NY Passenger Harold George Dick, Australian Department of Information (KIA, BR) WA Passenger William Bramwell Tibbs, Salvation Army, Deputy Commissioner (KIA, BR) Eastwood, NSW Passenger Cpl. William Barry Sleep, NX 150010 (KIA, BR) Wavell Heights, Brisbane, QLD Passenger Cpl. Thomas William Shard, Q 148539 (KIA, BR) Kalbar, QLD Passenger Pte Benjamin Rasmussen, Q 271392 (KIA, BR) Merrick, QLD Passenger Capt. John Hugho Weir, NX 333 (KIA, BR) Melbourne, VIC Passenger Capt. Alexander William Robert Geddes, SX 4886 (KIA, BR) Newcastle, NSW Passenger Lt. Nigel James Bruce MacDonald, YMCA Welfare Officer (KIA, BR) Neutral Bay, NSW Passenger LAC Donald Cantrol Cameron, 426040 RAAF 36 Squadron (KIA, BR) Texas, QLD Passenger LAC Raymond Kingsley Oster, 115325 RAAF 6 Transport and Movement Sqn (KIA, BR) Passenger Capt. Crawford Derek Mollison, VX 912 Australian Army 2/12 Australian Field Regiment (KIA, BR) Crashed December 19, 1943 at 9:20am MACR none Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 13893. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-47A-60-DL Skytrain serial number 43-30742. Ferried overseas across the Pacific to Australia. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 374th Troop Carrier Group, 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron. Nicknamed "Hoosier Traveler". In Australia assigned civilian call sign VH-CHR. Mission History On December 19, 1943 at 7:10am took off from Garbutt Field at Townsville piloted by 2nd Lt William R. Crecelius on a flight to Rockhampton Airfield then onward to Brisbane. Aboard was a total of 31 individuals including 4 crew members plus 27 passengers (16 Americans and 11 Australians). Among the passengers was correspondent Harold G. Dick, Australian Department of Information (Australian D of I) returning to Australia after participating in a mission over Japanese territory with exposed film to be developed. Also William B. Tibbs, Salvation Army, Deputy Commissioner. The weather south of Townsville was poor but fair over Rockhampton. At roughly 9:20am, this aircraft caught fire or exploded in the air and crashed at Ross Moya Road in the Canal Creek area roughly 30 miles north of Rockhampton. Everyone aboard was killed in the crash. On the ground, five stockman working at Canal Creek reported seeing an explosion in the air and a ball of fire coming to earth. At 9:45am a volunteer with the Air Observe Corps reported a crash. This crash was the second worst air disaster in Australia with 31 killed. The cause of the crash was never determined. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the crew and passengers were recovered and buried in Australia. After the crash, Dick's film was recovered and successfully developed. Postwar, the remains of the Americans were transported to the United States for permanent burial. During 1948, the remains of Snyder were transported aboard SS Cardinal O'Connell back to the United States. Memorials Everyone aboard died in the crash on December 19, 1943. The American crew and passengers: Crecelius was buried at Warnock Cemetery in Princeton, IN at section SW, row 12, lot 75, plot 10. Rowell was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Alma, MI. Shupe was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Rural Retreat, VA. Fazio has no known grave, likely he is buried in a private cemetery in his hometown in the United States. Loverin was buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section B site 658. Snyder was buried May 26, 1948 at Pomfret Manor Cemetery in Sunbury, PA. Graham was buried at Old Rosemont Cemetery in Bloomsburg, PA at Catholic Section, Coordinate A, grave 361. Bane was buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section A, site 142. Simons has no known grave, likely he is buried in a private cemetery in his hometown in the United States. Ross was buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery at section B, site 311. Williams has no known grave, likely she is buried in a private cemetery in his hometown in the United States. Staggs is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section C, site 446. Carline is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford, MA at WWII Section, row A, grave 31. Samuelson has no known grave, likely he is buried in a private cemetery in his hometown in the United States. Smith was buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section A, site 139. Koranda was buried at Wadena Cemetery in Wadena, MN. She is also memorialized on the South Dakota WWII Memorial. Johnson was buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at section B, site 484. Australian passengers: Dick was buried at Rookwood General Cemetery in Rookwood, NSW at Anglican section 16, Grave 801. Tibbs was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 3. Sleep was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 6. Shard was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 4. Rasmussen was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 9. Weir was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 8. Geddes was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 7. MacDonald was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 12. Cameron was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 11. Oster was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 10. Mollison was buried at Rockhampton War Cemetery at plot A row B grave 5. Due to the high loss of life, the crash site was dubbed "The Canal Creek Disaster" the first commemoration service to remember this crash was held on December 6, 2003 at 10:00 am. Possibly, there are plans for a permanent memorial at this location. Wreckage One of the propellers from this aircraft is displayed at a museum in Yeppoon. Phil Bradley adds: "I visited Yeppoon where the propeller from the Canal Creek C47 crash on 19 December 1943 is displayed." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - William R. Crecelius NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John R. Rowell NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - John L. Shupe NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert S. Fazio NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Orlen N Loverin NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - George K. Snyder NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Carlos M. Bane NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Herbert R. Johnson NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Herbert J. Mathias NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Charles F. Dolan USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-47A-60-DL 43-30742 "30742 (MSN 13893) to civil registry as VH-CHR. Listed as crashing in New Guinea Dec 19, 1943. Also listed as being de-registered on 7 October 1943 seen(?) in Brisbane 27 November 1943 and had an accident on 19 December 1945" News "Punxs'y Army Nurse Killed: Rebecca Williams, 33, First Woman to Die in Service" January 5, 1944 Allied Air Transport Operations - Volume Two (2000) by by Robert H. Kelly pages 52, 74-75 Oz@War - Crash of a C-47 of 22nd Troop Carrier Squadron... on 19 December 1943" News Princeton, IN "Crecelius honored with Australian flag" July 22, 2015 FindAGrave - Lieut William Randall “Randy” Crecelius (photo, news, grave photo) FindAGrave - John B. Rowell (grave photo) FindAGrave - Sgt John Lee Shupe (grave photos) FindAGrave - Capt Orlen N Loverin (grave photos) FindAGrave - Capt George Kline Snyder (photos, grave photo) FindAGrave - 2LT William B Graham (photo) FindAGrave - TSGT Carlos M Bane (grave photos) FindAGrave - Hoyt A Ross (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Rebecca May Williams (photo, obituary) FindAGrave - Jack Hayman Staggs (grave photo) FindAGrave - CCM Frank J Carline (grave photo) FindAGrave - WO Thomas W Smith (grave photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Ernestine May “Carmen” Koranda (photos, grave photo) Minnesota Historical Society - Army Nurse Ernestine Koranda (photos) FindAGrave - Herbert R Johnson (grave photos) FindAGrave - Harold George Dick (grave photo) CWGC - William Bramwell Tibbs CWGC - Cpl. William Barry Sleep CWGC - Thomas William Shard CWGC - Benjamin Rasmussen CWGC - John Hugho Weir CWGC - Alexander William Robert Geddes CWGC - Nigel James Bruce MacDonald CWGC - Donald Cantrol Cameron CWGC - Raymond Kingsley Oster CWGC - Crawford Derek Mollison FindAGrave - William Bramwell Tibbs (grave photos with plot) FindAGrave - William Bramwell Tibbs (grave photo) FindAGrave - Corp William Barry Sleep (grave photo) FindAGrave - Corp Thomas William Shard (grave photo) FindAGrave - Pvt Benjamin Rasmussen (grave photo) FindAGrave - Capt John Hugo Weir (grave photo) FindAGrave - Capt Alexander William Robert Geddes (grave photo) FindAGrave - N J B Macdonald (grave photo) FindAGrave - Donald Cantrol Cameron (grave photo) FindAGrave - Raymond Kingsley Oster (grave photo) FindAGrave - Capt Crawford Derek Mollison (photo, grave photo) 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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