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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USN VB-104  VB-104 c1943 |
Pilot Lt(jg) Waymon D. Searls, 0-114683 (MIA / KIA) TX Crew Lt(jg) Harper S. Joslyn, 0-156319 (MIA / KIA) IA Crew ACMM Ernest O. Emery, 2659378 (MIA / KIA) VA Crew ARM1c Robert J. Plank, 3285710 (MIA / KIA) MN Crew AMM1c Frank P. Browning, Jr., 6030692 (MIA / KIA) VA Crew ARM2c Donald E. Nelson, 3289664 (MIA / KIA) MN Crew AMM2c John E. Page, Jr., 3815964 (MIA / KIA) CA Crew AOM2c Lionel J. Verret, 6448163 (MIA / KIA) LA Crew AMM1C Robert J. Roller, 2690304 (MIA / KIA) FL MIA March 7, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as a B-24D-90-CO Liberator 42-40723. On April 29, 1943 assigned to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 32069. Wartime History Assigned to Bombing Squadron 104 (VB-104). Nicknamed "Whata-Honey" with the nose art of a female American Indian with a headdress and bow and arrow drawn pointing forward. A row of bomb marks on the right side of the nose indicating bombing missions flown. Squadron number 79 was painted in black on the nose. This PB4Y-1 first operated from Carney Field on Guadalcanal then from Munda Airfield on New Georgia. Mission History On March 7, 1944 took off from Munda Airfield on New Georgia piloted by Lt(jg) Waymon D. Searls on a bombing mission against Kapingamarangi Lagoon. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Search On March 9, 1944 a search aircraft, PB4Y "The Schooner" 32069 piloted by Lt(jg) Anton E. Anderson took off on a mission to patrol the same area and to search for this bomber and the crew. It failed to locate this bomber and also went Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on January 16, 1946. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-90-CO Liberator 42-40723 Navy Serial Number Search Results - PB4Y-1 Liberator 32069 "32069 (ex USAAF B-24D 42-40709 [sic, 42-40723])" VB-104 Album page 49 crew 15, crew 18 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Waymon D. Searls American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harper S. Joslyn American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Ernest O. Emery American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert J. Plank American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank P. Browning Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Donald E. Nelson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John E. Page Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lionel J. Verret American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert J. Roller FindAGrave - LtJG Waymon D Searls (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - LtJG Harper S Joslyn (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Ernest O. Emery (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - ARM1 Robert J Plank (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM1 Frank P Browning, Jr (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - ARM2 Donald E Nelson (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM2 John E Page, Jr (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AOM2 Lionel J Verret (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - AMM1 Robert J Roller (tablets of the missing) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 15, 2024 |
 PB4Y-1  Photo Archive  MIA9 Missing |
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