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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF 5th AF 5276th Rescue Group 3rd Rescue Squadron |
Pilot Captain Lew J. Carnegie, O-1000013 (MIA / KIA) Kansas City, MS Crew 1st Lt Chester E. Grimm, O-1011299 (MIA / KIA) Milwaukee, WI Crew 2nd Lt Benjamin Crump, III, O-674161 (MIA / KIA) New Orleans, LA Crew T/Sgt Byrd Ashburn, 35392027 (MIA / KIA) OH Crew Sgt Harry M. Maxwell, Jr., 33279876 (MIA / KIA) Greensburg, PA Crew S/Sgt Michael Raznoff, 34245281 (MIA / KIA) Tampa, FL Crew S/Sgt Carey A. Proctor, 32347000 (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Crew T/Sgt Donald D. J. Lauricella, 10625010 3rd ERS (MIA / KIA) Melbourne, Australia Passenger Ens Thomas F. White, USNR O-299472 (MIA / KIA) Dorchester, MA MIA October 13, 1944 MACR 13530 Aircraft History Built by Canadian Vickers in Montreal, Canada. Constructors Number CV400. Delivered on a U.S. Navy (USN) as PBV-1A Catalina bureau number 67853. Assigned to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as as a OA-10A Catalina serial number 44-33889. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA). Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 5276th Rescue Group (5276th BG), 3rd Rescue Squadron (3rd RS). No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines R-183-92 serial numbers (left) 42-109825 and 42-71692. Armed with a .30 caliber machine gun in the nose and tunnel, makers and serial numbers unknown. Also two .50 caliber machine guns in each waist blister makers and serial numbers unknown. Mission History On October 13, 1944 at 7:00am took off from Sorido Airfield on Biak Island piloted by Captain Lew J. Carnegie on a rescue mission bound to locate life rafts off in the vicinity of Helen Island. When this Catalina failed to return it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). The cause of the loss is unknown. Search After being reported missing, a search led by Captain George H. Helmick was conducted for four successive days by other aircraft from the 3rd Rescue Squadron plus two ship searches were conducted. The search followed the intended route of this Catalina, as far south as the northwest mountains of New Guinea and was extended to 100 miles to either side of the route to allow for tide, wind or navigational errors on the part of the lost aircraft. Memorials Carnegie, Grimm, Maxwell, Raznoff, Proctor and Lauricella were officially declared dead on March 7, 1946. White was officially declared dead on October 14, 1945. Each member of the crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. The entire crew is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Ashburn has a memorial marker at Burton-Ashburn Cemetery in Silver Point, TN. Ashburn is also memorialized on the cenotaph in Burton-Ashburn Cemetery, Silver Point, TN. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Catalina 67853 "accepted by the US Navy for the USAAF as OA-10A" USAF Serial Number Search Results - Canadian Vickers OA-10A Catalina 44-33889 "33889 (MSN CV350 [sic CV400) lost Oct 13, 1944, SW Pacific" Missing Air Crew Report 13530 (MACR 13530) created October 13, 1944 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lew J. Carnegie American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Chester E. Grimm American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Benjamin Crump III American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Byrd Ashburn American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry M. Maxwell Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Michael Raznoff American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Carey A. Proctor American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Donald D. J. Lauricella American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas F. White FindAGrave - Capt Lew J Carnegie (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Chester E Grimm (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Benjamin Crump, III (photo) FindAGrave - TSgt Byrd Ashburn (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Byrd Ashburn (memorial marker) FindAGrave - Byrd Ashburn (Burton-Ashburn cemetery photos) FindAGrave - Sgt Harry M Maxwell, Jr (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Michael Raznoff (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Carey A Proctor (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Donald D. J. Lauricella (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ENS Thomas Francis White (tablets of the missing 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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