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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-443 "Wildcats" |
Pilot "1st Lt Benjamin G. Kinnick, O-022465 (MIA / KIA) Adel, IA Co-Pilot "1st Lt Dominic F. Bellanca, O-023744 (MIA / KIA) Buffalo, NY Crew "MSgt Edward P. McCray, 240712 (MIA / KIA) DC Crew "SSgt Edmund S. Santomasso, 460335 (MIA / KIA) MA Crew "SSgt Arthur P. Going, 442437 (MIA / KIA) MA Crew "Cpl Jay B. Fitzpatrick, 512557(MIA / KIA) TX MIA "September 16, 1944 at 11:57pm Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 100-8933. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-25D-20 Mitchell 41-30768. Assigned to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PBJ-1D Mitchell bureau number 35086. Wartime History Assigned to U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Wing 1 (MAW-1), Marine Bombing Squadron 443 (VMB-443) "Wildcats". No known nickname or nose art. During late May 1944 flown from El Centro to Ewa Field. During June 1944 flown overseas via Palmyra Airfield, Canton Airfield, Funafuti Airfield, Espiritu Santo then Green Island Airfield (Nissan) in the South Pacific (SOPAC). At the end of August 1944, assigned to Marine Air Group 61 (MAG-61) and flown from Green Island Airfield (Nissan) to Emirau Airfield. Mission History On September 16, 1944 at 10:30pm took off from Emirau Airfield piloted by 1st Lt Benjamin G. Kinnick on a night harassment mission over Kavieng. At 10:58pm lost radio contact with local fighter controller. Over the target, shot down by anti-aircraft fire over Kavieng. At 11:57pm this aircraft faded off radar roughly one mile southeast of North Cape on the northwestern tip of New Ireland. When this bomber failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on January 26, 1946. The entire crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. The entire crew (with the exception of Fitzpatrick) are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Fitzpatrick is memorialized at Honolulu Cemetery (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing. Going also has a memorial marker at Melrose Cemetery in East Windsor, CT. References Note, the squadron records indicate the crash was September 16, 1944 at 11:57pm, three minutes to midnight. Many sources incorrectly list the date of loss as September 17, 1944. USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25D-20 Mitchell 41-30768 "30730/30754 to USN as PBJ-1D 35048/35072" Navy Serial Number Search Results - 35086 "35086 lost Sep 17, 1944 [sic Sep 16, 1944]" NARA "VMB-443 War Diary September 1944" page 6 (Page 6) "16 September 1944 (Ref: ACA-1 Report 6.) 2230 Kinnick off heckle and to bomb Kavieng. Lost radio contact with local fighter controller at 2258. Local radar station plotted Kinnick over Kavieng until 2357 when he faded from screen, last plot being one (1) mile southeast of North Cape, Kavieng." VMB-443 website lists date of loss as September 17, 1944 incorrectly American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Benjamin G. Kinnick American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Dominic F. Bellanca American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward P. McCray American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edmund S. Santomasso American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Arthur Palmer Going American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jay B. Fitzpatrick FindAGrave - 1Lt Benjamin G Kinnick (news, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Dominic Francis Bellanca (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - MTSgt Edward P McCray (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Edward Payson McCray (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Edmund S Santomasso (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Arthur Palmer Going (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Arthur Palmer Going (memorial marker) FindAGrave - Corp Jay B Fitzpatrick (courts of the missing photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 25, 2024 |
 PBJ  MIA 6 Missing |
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