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| USMC FMF MarAirSoPac VMB-413  VMB-413 1944  VMB-413 May 5, 1944  Rick Ray 1999   Justin Taylan 2000 |
Pilot 1st Lt. Glenn Willard Smith "Smitty", O-21855 USMCR (MIA / KIA, BR) Inglewood, CA Co-Pilot 1st Lt. Ralph Milton Jones Jr., O-25395 USMCR (MIA / KIA, BR) Griffin, GA Navigator Sgt. John Slingluff Little, 452483 USMCR (MIA / KIA, BR) Norristown, PA Radio Sgt. George Dewey Herbst, Jr., 489222 USMCR (MIA / KIA, BR) Pottstown, PA Gunner Cpl. Michael F. Mazepa, 425132 (MIA / KIA, BR) New York, NY Gunner Cpl. Ferris Robert Gillen, 421734 (MIA / KIA, BR) Muncie, IL Passenger Cpl Robert S. Bleier, 518565 USMCR HQ Co, 3rd Amphibious Corps (MIA / KIA, BR) New York, NY Crashed May 5, 1944 Aircraft History Built by North American Aviation (NAA). Constructors Number 100-20720. Delivered U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) B-25D-25 Mitchell serial number 42-87227. Assigned U.S. Navy (USN) as PBJ-1D Mitchell bureau number 35143. Painted with light blue upper surfaces and gray lower surfaces. Possibly, this PBJ had squadron number "26" in black on the right side of the nose. Wartime History Assigned to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC), Fleet Marine Force (FMF), Marine Air South Pacific (MarAirSoPac), Marine Bombing Squadron 413 (VMB-413). No known nickname or nose art. Ferried overseas via Hawaii then across the Pacific to the South Pacific (SOPAC) to Espirito Santo. On March 7, 1944 flown via Guadalcanal to Stirling Airfield. When lost, R-2600 engines (left) serial number 42-148094 and (right) 42-147960. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns makers and serial numbers unknown. Mission History On May 5, 1944 at 9:10am took off from Stirling Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. Glenn Willard Smith "Smitty" as one of six PBJ-1D Mitchells led by Lt. Col. A. B. Galatian (C.O. VMB-413) with Green, Goddard, Gordon and Bratton on a bombing mission against Tobera Airfield supply areas. Also aboard was passenger Cpl. Robert S. Bleir, a photographer and unit historian from the 3rd Amphibious Corps. At 10:55am at medium altitude over Tobera Airfield, hit by anti-aircraft fire in the left engine that damaged the engine and partially dislodged it from the mount. Another bomber in the same formation photographed PBJ Mitchell with the damaged left engine. Moments later, crashed and burst into flames landing in a Japanese camp area roughly a 800 yards or a mile west of the runway. The entire crew was killed on impact and the plane broke into pieces. When this PBJ failed to return it was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Wreckage This PBJ crashed into a Japanese camp area and broke into pieces. The crash created an impact crater and the tail section and engines landed in a nearby gully. After the crash, the Japanese buried the remains of the crew inside the impact crater and marked the grave with a piece of armor plating and bent .50 caliber machine gun atop. Recovery of Remains During December 1948, a search team from AGRS-PAZ American Graves Registration Service (AGRS)-PAZ (PAZ) located the crash site of PBJ 35143 approximately one mile west of the Tobera Airfield and recovered what they believed to be two sets of remains that were designated as unknowns. They also recovered a pair of shoes size 12E, a Colt M1911 pistol and holster marked "EER" and "CHD" The remains recovered in December 1948 by AGRS were designated as unknowns: Isolated Burial 8 (IB-8) and Isolated Burial 9 (IB-9) from New Britain and embarked aboard USS LST-711 and shipped to Oahu then to the Central Identification Laboratory at Schofield Barracks. In March 1949, the recovered remains designated Case 7777 IB-8 and IB-9 placed into storage at the U.S. Army Mausoleum #2 at Schofield Barracks. When studied, the recovered remains were determined to be intermingled remains and evidence of a third individual resulted in the recovered remains being designated 9B and the original IB-9 became IB-9A. The dental of IB-8 compared favorable with Cpl Robert S. Bleier and the size of the remains, as he was the tallest member of the crew. On July 27, 1949 the unknown IB-8 was identified as Bleier based on dental comparison and his mother was notified then shipped aboard USAT ship to the United States arriving on November 21, 1949 then the casket was shipped by railroad to New York then south to Rosslyn, VA and transfered to Arlington National Cemetery. The other remains recovered IB-9A and IB-9B had no conclusive comparison were deemed to be deemed to be the rest of the crew and would be buried as a group burial. These remains were shipped aboard a USAT ship to the United States then by rail to Rosslyn, VA and transfered to Arlington National Cemetery. During the late 1990s plantation owner Rick Ray discovered buried human remains at the crash site under a piece of armor plate and a bent .50 caliber machine guns. Rick Ray adds: "The remains were placed in a shallow pit and the piece of armor plating from the cockpit was thrown on top of the remains and the 50 cal. was thrown on top of the armor plating, then covered over. That's how I found the remains in that order." During 1999, a team from Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii (CILHI) led by Dr. Bill Belcher investigated the crash site and excavated the area were the remains were recovered. In 2000, another team from Central Identification Laboratory Hawaii (CILHI) led by Dennis Danielson continued investigations and excavated the area across a gully where the engines and tail wreckage were found. During March 2001, reportedly portions of the wreckage were reportedly scrapped by a local. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. On February 7, 1950 six of the crew: Smith, Jones, Little, Herbst, Mazepa, Gillen were buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 34 site 4900. Little also has a memorial marker at Saint John Episcopal Church Cemetery, Norristown PA with the inscription: "He Gave His Life for His Country May 5, 1944 Over Rabaul New Britain S.W.P. Requiescat in Pace". Gillen also has a memorial marker at Allhands Cemetery in Danville, IL. Bleier was individually buried February 21, 1950 at Arlington National Cemetery at section 34 site 3768 with his date of death listed as May 6, 1945 [sic May 5, 1944]. Relatives Gleen Golay (nephew of Smith) George V. Bleier (brother of Bleier) USMC Casualty Card - Glenn Willard Smith (Reverse) "Plane was hit by AA fire and crashed in flames near Tobera Field. Crew members of other planes reported seeing flames in navigators compartment & that plane crashed, exploded & burned 800 yds west of south end of Tobera runway. No crew members were seen to leave plane between time it was hit and time it crashed. War Diary fr VMB-413 MarAirSoPac dated 6-14-44. Conf#42467 rec'd 7-10-44. (mk)" USMC Casualty Card - Ralph M. Jones (Reverse) "Plane was hit by AA fire and crashed in flames near Tobera Field. Crew members of other planes reported seeing flames in navigators compartment & that plane crashed, exploded & burned 800 yds west of south end of Tobera runway. No crew members were seen to leave plane between time it was hit and time it crashed. War Diary fr VMB-413 MarAirSoPac dated 6-14-44. Conf#42467 rec'd 7-10-44. (mk)" USMC Casualty Card - John S. Little (Reverse) "Plane was hit by AA fire and crashed in flames near Tobera Field. Crew members of other planes reported seeing flames in navigators compartment & that plane crashed, exploded & burned 800 yds west of south end of Tobera runway. No crew members were seen to leave plane between time it was hit and time it crashed. War Diary fr VMB-413 MarAirSoPac dated 6-14-44. Conf#42467 rec'd 7-10-44. (mk)" USMC Casualty Card - George Dewey Herbst, Jr. (Reverse) "The bodies of Ralph M. Jones, Jr., 021855; Glenn W. Smith, 021855, George D. Herost, Jr. 489222; Ferris R. Gillen, 421734; Michael F. Mazepa, 425132; and John S. Little, 452483 have been recovered and identified as a "Group" [group burial]." USMC Casualty Card - Michael F. Mazepa (Reverse) "The bodies of Ralph M. Jones, Jr., 021855; Glenn W. Smith, 021855, George D. Herost, Jr. 489222; Ferris R. Gillen, 421734; Michael F. Mazepa, 425132; and John S. Little, 452483 have been recovered and identified as a "Group" [group burial]." USMC Casualty Card - Ferris Robert Gillen (Front) "Date of Casualty 6 May 45 [sic May 5, 1944] Remarks: Previously reported MIA since 5 May 44. SecNav Finding of Death dtd 6 May 45." (Reverse) "The bodies of Ralph M. Jones, Jr., 021855; Glenn W. Smith, 021855, George D. Herost, Jr. 489222; Ferris R. Gillen, 421734; Michael F. Mazepa, 425132; and John S. Little, 452483 have been recovered and identified as a "Group" [group burial]." USMC Casualty Card - Glenn Willard Smith Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) Robert Steven Bleier, 518565 USMC Casualty Card - Robert Steven Bleier, 518565 United States Marine Corps Casualties Part 1 by Name 1941-45, Babbitt to Byxbe "BLEIER, Robert Steven, 518565, POW&MPDet, HQUSMC, Washington DC, May 6, 1945, missing-killed in action (mc) + BLEIER, Robert Steven, Cpl., USMCR. Mother, Mrs. Ella Bleier, 15 Central Park West, New York, NY (na)" USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-25D-25 Mitchell 42-87227 USN Overseas Aircraft Loss List May 1944 - PBJ-1D Mitchell 35143 NARA USMC Marine Bombing Squadron 413 War Diary May 1944 pages 2, 3, 5, 9 (Page 5) "5 May, 1944 - 0910. Galatian Green, Goddard, Gordon, Smith and Bratton off to bomb Tobera supply area at 1100. Unobserved results from bombing. Plane, Bu. No. 35143, with 1st Lt. G.W. Smith and crew, shot down over target area by direct hit from enemy A/A. (Ref: ACA-1 Rpt. 43)" NARA USMC Marine Bombing Squadron 413 Aircraft Action Report (AAR) Report No. 43 (ACA-1 Rpt. 43) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Glenn W. Smith (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Lt. Glenn Willard Smith (group burial photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Ralph M. Jones (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Lt. Ralph M. Jones (group burial photo) Fold3 - Ralph M. Jones, Jr. Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - John S. Little (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Sgt John S. Little (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Sgt John S. Little (memorial marker photo St, John Episcopal Church Cemetery) Fold3 - John Slingluff Little Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - George D. Herbst (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Sgt George D. Herbst, Jr (group burial photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Michael F. Mazepa (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Cpl Michael Frank Mazepa (group burial photo) Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Ferris R. Gillen (group burial photos) FindAGrave - Cpl Ferris R. Gillen (group burial photo) FindAGrave - Corp Ferris Robert “Rudy” Gillen (memorial marker photo Allhands Cemetery) Fold3 - Ferris Robert Gillen Arlington National Cemetery (ANC Explorer) - Robert S. Bleier (grave photos) FindAGrave - Robert Steven Bleier (grave photo) date of death listed as May 6, 1945 [sic] Fold3 - Robert Steven Bleier History of Marine Corps in World War II (1952) pages 204 (May 5, 1944), 205 (VMB-413 A/C Lost) (Page 204) "...on 5 May [1944], ten days before it was relieved by VMB-423, AA at Rabaul's Tobera Airfield shot down Lieut. Glen W. Smith's plane." Ghost Wings Magazine Issue 6 "The Ghosts in the Forest: Discovery of a USMC PBJ-1D" by Justin Taylan Thanks to Dr. Bill Belcher, Rick Ray and Brian Bennett 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 July 31, 2023 |
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