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| USMC MAW-1 VMD-254 |
Pilot Lt. Col Edwin P. Pennebaker (survived) Butte, MT Crew Sgt William A. Lowe, Jr. 436533 (KIA, BR) NY Crew Sgt John Vincent Fryslie, 331583 (KIA, BR) ND Crashed November 28, 1943 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Constructors Number 2129. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-130-CO Liberator serial number 42-41052. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 32144. Wartime History Assigned to U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Wring 1 (MAW-1), Marine Photographic Squadron 254 (VMD-254). No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On November 28, 1943 took off piloted by Lt. Col Edwin P. Pennebaker on a ferry flight bound for Palmyra Airfield bound for the South Pacific (SoPAC). While landing at Palmyra Airfield, the plane crashed killing two aboard: Lowe and Frystle. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the two killed were buried on Palmyra Island. Postwar, both were exhumed and transported to Hawaii for permenant burial. Memorials The two crew killed in the crash are buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Lowe at Plot A Row 0 Grave 707. Fryslie at Plot B Row 0 Grave 406. In honor of the deceased crew members, Palmyra Airfield was named "Lowe Field". Later, the VMD-254 camp area near Piva North Airfield (Piva Uncle) on Bougainville was named "Camp Fryslie". Pennebaker passed away July 7, 1993 at age 82. He was cremated and his ashes spread at sea by the U.S. Navy. Relatives Arnel Gonce (granddaughter of Fryslie) "John Fryslie was my maternal grandfather. My grandfather was an identical twin, and apparently one of the survivors after being released from the hospital saw my grandfather's twin across the street and had a nervous breakdown (he didn't know he had an identical twin), because he had seen that John Fryslie was dead. John Fryslie's twin, was Norman Fryslie, and he was also in the service, though I am unsure about the branch. I would assume he was a Marine also." Telegraph reporting his death December 4, 1943. References USAF Serial Number Search Results B-24D Liberator 42-41052 Navy Serial Number Search Results PB4Y-1 Liberator 32144 FindAGrave - Sgt William Adams Lowe, Jr (grave photo) FindAGrave - John Fryslie (grave photo) FindAGrave - BG Edwin Preston Pennebaker Jr. Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated January 16, 2024 |
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