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| USN VPB-149  USN 1942 |
Pilot Lt. Ernest L. Rehberg (slightly injured) Detroit, MI Co-Pilot Lt(jg) George H. Gillings (slightly injured) Radio ARM2c Paul F. Light (slightly injured) Ordnance AOM2c Robert F. Jablonski (severely injured) WI Mechanic AMM3c Edward Wieczork, 7106394 (KIA, BR) NJ Crashed January 11, 1945 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed as model 237-27-01 in Burbank. Constructors Number 237-6375. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PV-1 Ventura bureau number 49559. Wartime History Assigned to Patrol Bombing Squadron 149 (VPB-149). No known nickname or nose art. During January 19945 took off from Kaneohe Field and flown to Sand Island Airfield in Midway Atoll as part of a six plane detachment to conduct search missions to collect weather data, report friendly and enemy activity or serve as attack force if needed. Between January 2–11, 1945 night searches were flown. This bomber was flown by Lt. Rehberg and the same crew on night patrols on January 7, 1945 and January 9, 1945 and returned safely. Mission History On January 11, 1945 at 10:50pm took off from Sand Island Airfield piloted by Lt. Ernest L. Rehberg on a night patrol mission. Shortly after take off, after retracting the landing gear and had the engines at full power but the plane began loosing altitude and was slightly nose heavy. Realizing they were not climbing, both pilots pulled up but the PV-1 mushed into the lagoon inside Midway Atoll roughly 4,000' off the end of the runway and skipped across the surface before one wing submerged and caused the bomber to spin, break up and sink. Afterwards, the bomber written off as a total loss. Aboard, AMM3c Edward Wieczork was killed in the crash and went missing. Three of the crew sustained slight injuries and exited using the cockpit escape hatch. Ordnance AOM2c Jablonski was severely injured and escaped using the astrodome navigation hatch. Memorials Wieczorek was officially declared dead January 12, 1945 and listed as buried at sea. He is memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) on the courts of the missing, court 2. Jablonski passed away on August 7, 1996 at age 72. He is buried at Wood National Cemetery at section 37C, site 449. Rehberg passed away January 11, 2013 at age 94. He is buried at Mount Kelly Cemetery in Dearborn, Michigan. References Navy Serial Number Search Results - PV-1 Ventura 49559 "49559 (VPB-149) w/o 11-Jan-45 Sand Isl, Midway. Flew into water during night take-off. 1 killed" The Times Herald (Port Huron, Michigan) August 26, 1942 "Our Men In Service" page 7 (Ensign Ernest L. Rehberg) USN Overseas Aircraft Loss PV-1 Ventura 450111 NARA Patrol Bomber Squadron 149 (VPB-149) Quarterly Report 1 January - 1 March 1945 pages 16 (Lt. Ernest Louis Rehberg), 24-26 (Midway detachment, January 11, 1945) American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Edward Wieczorek FindAGrave - AMM3 Edward Wieczorek (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Robert Frank Jablonski (grave) FindAGrave - Ernest L. Rehberg (photo, grave photo) Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated October 24, 2023 |
 PV-1 MIA 1 Missing |
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