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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USMC MAW-1 MAG-61 VMB-423  USMC 1943 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Alden R. Carlson, O-023839 (MIA / KIA) Holmes City, MN Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Thaddeus H. Banachowski, O-026681 (MIA / KIA) MI Navigator / Bombardier SSgt Clyde E. Yates, 487367 (MIA / KIA) OH Crew Cpl Reber H. Smith, 520693 (MIA / KIA) Port Arthur, TX Crew Cpl Raymond T. Marks, 520616 (MIA / KIA) Houston, TX Crew Cpl John T. Gunn, 453192 (MIA / KIA) Boston, MA MIA April 20, 1944 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 100-8895. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25D-20 Mitchell serial number 41-30730. Assigned to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PBJ-1D Mitchell bureau number 35083. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) to 1st Marine Air Wing (MAW-1), Marne Air Group 61 (MAG-61), Marine Bombing Squadron 423 (VMB-423) "Seahorses". No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On April 20, 1944 took off piloted by 1st Lt. Alden R. Carlson on a night training mission over Espiritu Santo and crashed off the eastern side of Tutuba Island. When this aircraft failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Carlson, Banachowski and Gunn on court 2. Yates, Smith and Marks on court 4. Carlson is the only crew member that earned the Purple Heart. Yate also has a memorial marker at Riverview Cemetery in West Millgrove, Ohio at section 3, new north, row 15. Gunn also has a memorial marker at Massachusetts National Cemetery at memorial D, no. 27. Relatives Dick Conrad (nephew of Clyde Edward Yates) "My uncle was S/Sgt Clyde Edward Yates, #487367 Navigator Bombardier. Three of Clyde’s sisters are still living-my mother Lucille Yates Conrad (94), Bowling Green, OH; Mary Lou (80) Oak Harbor, OH and Thelma, Omaha, Neb. First Attachment- I think that the letter that I sent to General Amos on July1st, 2012 contains most of the pertinent information. Many of the items in this letter were copied from the Marine Corps records that I got from St. Louis." References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25D-20 Mitchell 41-30765 Navy Serial Number Search Results - PBJ-1D Mitchell 35083 "35083 (VMB-423) crashed near Tutuba Island Apr 20, 1944. 6 killed." USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List April 1944 - PBJ-1D 35083 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Alden R. Carlson FindAGrave - 1Lt Alden Richard Carlson (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thaddeus H. Banachowski FindAGrave - 1Lt Thaddeus Henry Banachowski (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Clyde Edward Yates FindAGrave - SSgt Clyde Edward Yates (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSGT Clyde Edward Yates (memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Reber H. Smith FindAGrave - Corp Reber Humbert Smith (courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Raymond T. Marks FindAGrave - Corp Raymond Timothy Marks (photo, courts of the missing photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John Thomas Gunn FindAGrave - Corp John Thomas Gunn (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - CPL John Thomas Gunn (memorial marker photo) Thanks to Ned Wernick and Dick Conrad 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 March 28, 2022 |
 PBJ  Map April 20, 1944  MIA 6 Missing |
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