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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF Air Transport Command Pacific Division Pacific Wing 1551st AAFBU |
Pilot 1st Lt. Paul W. Drew, O-376182 1551st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) La Grange, IL Engineer Cpl Earnest J. Bauer, 32757555 1551st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) Paulsboro, NJ Radio Sgt Ralph E. Beirdneau, 39554075 1551st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) Los Angles, CA Radio Cpl Harry D. Paige, Jr., 11115773 1551st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) Quincy, MA Passenger 1st Lt. Paul C. Crouch, O-869966 68th Airways and Communications SG (MIA / KIA) Barstow, TX Passenger 1Lt Gordon A. Johnson, O-870244 68th Airways and Communications SG (MIA / KIA) Minneapolis, MN Passenger 2nd Lt. Robert L. Flicker, O-872333 91st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) Kingston, NY Passenger 2nd Lt. Milton M. Tittler, O-871854 91st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Passenger 2nd Lt. Ralph J. Greco, O-871649 68th Airways and Communications SG (MIA / KIA) Brooklyn, NY Passenger S/Sgt Robert P. Eisele, 15324588 91st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) Barberton, OH Engineer Sgt Clyde Allen Walker, 39325795 1551st AAFBU (MIA / KIA) La Grande, OR Passenger Cpl Carl A. Spangler, 13098504 68th Airways and Communications SG (MIA / KIA) Philadelphia, PA MIA June 21, 1945 at 4:35am MACR 14670 Aircraft History Built by Canadian Vickers Limited in Montreal, Canada as the Model CL-1 a license built version of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation Model 28-5A. Constructors Number CV561. Delivered to the U. S. Navy (USN) as PBV-1A Catalina 68014. Assigned to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as OA-10A Catalina serial number 44-34050. 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 at 3:30am took off from Mokerang Airfield on Los Negros to piloted by 1st Lt. Paul W. Drew 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. As the mission was deemed non-combat, none of the crew earned the Purple Heart, postthumously. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. 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 Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) with members of other units when they went down." References Navy Serial Number Search Results - Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Catalina 68014 "accepted by the US Navy for the USAAF as OA-10A" USAF Serial Number Search Results - OA-10A Catalina 44-34050 "34050 (MSN CV561) MIA 6/21/1945, SW Pacific" Missing Air Crew Report 14670 (MACR 14670) created June 25, 1945 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 photos) 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 (tablets of the missing photo) 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 (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - 2Lt Ralph J Greco (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Robert P Eisele (tablets of the missing photos) FindAGrave - Sgt Clyde A Walker (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Corp Carl A Spangler (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 June 21, 2025
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