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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USMC MAW-1 VMD-154 |
Pilot Captain Benjamin C. Y. Fuller, 0-6429 (MIA / KIA) Tallahassee, FL Crew 1st Lt. Harry Melvin Roberts, 0-10127 (MIA / KIA) Little Rock, AR Crew SSgt Ernest Lee Bailey, 424511 (MIA / KIA) Maxine, AL Crew Cpl Henry Battling Nielsen, 326640 (MIA / KIA) WI Crew Cpl Richard Paul Chenard, 377571 (MIA / KIA) ME Crew Sgt Herbert Edward Knecht, 356626 (MIA / KIA) WI Crew Cpl Alvin Anthony Nowak, 355159 (MIA / KIA) MI Crew Pfc Lester Cyril Simkins, 406170 (MIA / KIA) IN Crew Pvt James Kenneth Davis, 412257 (MIA / KIA) MO Crew Pvt Robert Stephen Edwards, 413293 (MIA / KIA) IA Crew Pvt Johnny Fred Tarzi, 390788 (MIA / KIA) MS Crew 1st Lt. Harold Welch Ervin, O-854304 USAAF (MIA / KIA) Crystal Springs, MS MIA February 7, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego as Model 32. Constructors Number 913. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-20-CO Liberator serial number 41-24118. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 31958. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Wing 1 (MAW-1), Marine Photographic Squadron 154 (VMD-154). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On February 7, 1943 took off from Espiritu Santo piloted by Captain Benjamin C. Yancy Fuller and shortly after take off crashed into the sea at a location deemed to be 95 fathoms of water. This bomber was to fly to Guadalcanal to refuel and rendezvous with PB4Y-1 Liberator 3195931959. From there, the two-plane reconnaissance flight was to photograph Truk Lagoon. When this bomber crashed it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was declared dead the day of the crash. All are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl)on the courts of the missing. Fuller earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 2. Roberts earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 4. Roberts also has a memorial marker at Little Rock National Cemetery in section 13, site 292. Bailey earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 2. Nielsen earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Chenard earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Knecht earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Nowak earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Simkins earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Davis earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Edwards earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Tarzi earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court X. Ervin earned Purple Heart, posthumously. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 7. He is also memorialized on a 1951 memorial dedicated to those killed in World War II in Long Beach, MS. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-20-CO Liberator 41-24118 Navy Serial Number Search Results - PB4Y-1 Liberator 31958 American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Benjamin C. Y. Fuller FindAGrave - Capt Benjamin Cunningham Yancey Fuller (photo, obituary, courts of the missing photo) Tallahassee Democrat "Captain Fuller of U S Marines Is Said Killed" Feb 14, 1943 American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Harry Melvin Roberts FindAGrave - 1Lt Harry Melvin Roberts (photo, courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Harry Melvin Roberts (photo, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Ernest Lee Bailey FindAGrave - SSgt Ernest Lee Bailey (photo, obituary, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Henry Battling Nielsen FindAGrave - Henry Battling Nielsen American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Richard Paul Chenard FindAGrave - Richard Paul Chenard American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Herbert Edward Knecht FindAGrave - Herbert Edward Knecht American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Alvin Anthony Nowak FindAGrave - Alvin Anthony Nowak American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Lester Cyril Simkins FindAGrave - Lester Cyril Simkins American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - James Kenneth Davis FindAGrave - James Kenneth Davis American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Robert Stephen Edwards FindAGrave - Robert Stephen Edwards American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Johnny Fred Tarzi FindAGrave - Johnny Fred Tarzi NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harold W. Ervin American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Harold W. Ervin FindAGrave - 1Lt Harold Welch Ervin (photo, courts of the missing photo) FIndAGrave - Lieut Harold Welch Ervin (photo) VMD-154 Association / MIA Mishap Memorial 7 Feb 1943 Crash of PB4Y-1 #31958 Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated January 4, 2026 |
 PB4Y-1 MIA 12 Missing |
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