Aircraft History
Built by Consolidated. Delivered to the U. S. Navy (USN). Ferried overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

Wartime History
Assigned to the Air Transport Command (ATC), Pacific Division, Pacific Wing. No known nickname or nickname. When lost, engines R-1830-92 serial numbers: CP 360275 and CP 360265.

Mission History
On June 21, 1945 took off from Mokerang Airfield on Los Negros at 3:30am to conduct tests with distance measuring equipment for COMAIR Admiralties. Aboard were four crew (pilot, engineer and two radio operators) plus seven passengers (five AACS officers and two AACS enlisted men from the 68th Airways and Communications Service Group and 91st Army Air Force Base Unit and 1551st Army Air Force Base Unit). This aircraft was last reported position by radio was 110 miles south of Los Negros at roughly Lat 3 47' S Long 147 12' E.

Search
When this PBY failed to return, a search mission for it was launched using five C-47s, two OA-10s and numerous fighters. No visible signs of wreckage nor any trace was found. The search was officially abandoned June 25, 1945 at midnight. Originally listed as missing in action; six months later declared KNB (killed No Body).

Memorials
The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

Drew has a memorial marker at Conant Cemetery in Jaffrey, NH. Drew is also memorialized on his parent's grave at Buttzville Methodist Episcopal Cemetery in Buttzville, NJ.

Relative
Jean Paige Hamilton (sister) adds:
"Harry Paige was my brother. Several years ago I attempted to get copies of service records, etc., from National Military Personnel Records and was told that all personnel records were lost in fire in St. Louis. The crew photo I believe is his crew in the Pacific, but I have no way of knowing for sure. Do you know anyone in the photograph?"

Margie Schwartz adds:
"They were out on a navigation mission to test some new DME (distance measuring equipment) with members of other units when they went down."

References
Missing Air Crew Report 14670 (MACR 14670)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Paul W. Drew
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Earnest J. Bauer
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ralph E. Beirdneau
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harry D. Paige, Jr.
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Paul C. Crouch
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Gordon A. Johnson
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert L. Flicker
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Milton M. Tittler
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ralph J. Greco
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert P. Eisele
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Clyde Allen Walker
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Carl A. Spangler
FindAGrave - 1Lt Paul W Drew (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Paul W Drew (memorial marker - parent's grave)
FindAGrave - Paul Wesley Drew (memorial marker)
FindAGrave - Corp Earnest J Bauer (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Sgt Ralph E Beirdneau (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Corp Harry D Paige, Jr
FindAGrave - 1Lt Paul C Crouch (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - 1Lt Gordon A Johnson (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - 2Lt Robert L Flicker (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - 2Lt Milton M Tittler
FindAGrave - 2Lt Ralph J Greco (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - SSgt Robert P Eisele
FindAGrave - Sgt Clyde A Walker (tablets of the missing photo)
FindAGrave - Corp Carl A Spangler

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Last Updated
June 29, 2019