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| USN VPB-111 |
PPC Lt. Howard E. Sires, O-084205 USNR (MIA) WA Pilot Ensign Edward F. Shiel, O-321197 USNR (MIA / KIA) NJ Co-Pilot Ensign Walter L. Darsee, O-363797 USNR (MIA / KIA) Detroit, MI PC AMM1c Norman G. Hitchcock, 6001737 USNR (MIA / KIA) Round Lake, NY 1M AMM3c Theodore J. Stedman, 6625624 USNR (MIA / KIA) CA 1R AMM2c Edward C. Frawley, 6472961 USNR (MIA / KIA) NY 2R ARM3c Leon M. Cannon, 6562884 USNR (MIA / KIA) NC Ord AOM1c William B. Morrison, 6173360 USNR (MIA / KIA) TX Gunner S1c Raymond L. Wojciechowski, 7245649 USNR (MIA / KIA) IL Gunner S1c Robert H. Walsleben, 8392840 USNR (MIA / KIA) TX MIA February 5, 1945 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego. Constructors Number 5695. Assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24L-20-CO Liberator serial number 44-41759. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PB4Y-1 Liberator bureau number 65294. Wartime History Assigned to Patrol Bombing Squadron 111 (VPB-111). Mission History On February 5, 1945 took off from Pitu Airfield on Morotai Island piloted by Lt. Howard E. Sires on a patrol mission. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew were officially declared dead on February 6, 1946. Each member of the crew is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Morrison on court 1. Sires, Shiel, Wojciechowski and Walsleben on court 2. Hitchcock and Frawley on court 3. Darsee and Cannon on court 5. Sires earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Shiel earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Darsee earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Hitchcock earned the Air Medal with Gold Star. He also has a memorial marker at Dunning Street Cemetery in Malta, NY. Stedman earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Frawley earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Cannon earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, posthumously. Morrison did not earn any awards. Wojciechowski earned the Air Medal with Gold Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. Walsleben earned the Air Medal with Gold Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D Liberator 44-41759 Navy Serial Number Search Results PB4Y-1 Liberator 65294 USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List February 1945 - PB4Y-1 Liberator 65294 NARA Patrol Bombing Squadron 111 (VPB-111) War Diary February 1945 pages 3-4 (Page 3) 5. Complement of airplanes: B. On 1 February 1945, the following PB4Y-1 airplanes were on hand PB4Y-1 bureau numbers... 65294. D. Airplane losses: On 5 February 1945 plane #65294 was reported 'missing'." (Page 4) "On 5 February 5th Lieutenant H. E. Sires & crew failed to return from patrol." The Saratogian "Air Medal Awarded Missing Man" September 1, 1945 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Howard E. Sires American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward F. Shiel American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Walter L. Darsee American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Norman G. Hitchcock American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Theodore J. Stedman American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward C. Frawley American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Leon M. Cannon American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William B. Morrison American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Raymond L. Wojciechowski American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert H. Walsleben FindAGrave - Lt Howard Edward Sires (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - LtJg Edward F Shiel (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Walter Louis Darsee Jr. date of death listed as February 6, 1945 [sic February 5, 1945] FindAGrave - Ens Walter L Darsee (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AMM1 Norman G Hitchcock (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Norman G. Hitchcock (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - AMM3 Theodore J Stedman (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARM2 Edward C Frawley (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - ARM3C Leon Marcus Cannon (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - AOM1 William B Morrison (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Raymond L. Wojciechowski (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - S1 Robert H Walsleben (courts of the missing photo) Thanks to Chris Carola for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated February 26, 2023 |
 PB4Y-1  MIA 10 Missing |
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