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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| RNZAF No. 1 Squadron |
Pilot Flying Officer Selwyn C. Houghton, 416494 (KIA, BR, MIA) Devonport, Auckland Crew Warrant Officer Joseph R. Crisp, 413384 (KIA, BR, MIA) New Plymouth, Taranaki Crew Warrant Officer Geoffrey F. Robins, 412461 (KIA, BR, MIA) Featherston, Wellington Crew Warrant Officer Albert L. Douglas, 424971 (KIA, BR, MIA) Upper Atiamuri, Auckland Crew F/Sgt Francis E. Larnach, 422009 (KIA, BR, MIA) Crashed October 10, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Lockheed as model 237-27-01 in Burbank. Constructors number 237-6139. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as PV-1 Ventura bureau number 48903. No known nickname or nose art. Disassembled and shipped to Oahu then across the Pacific to New Zealand as part of defense aid. Wartime History On February 29, 1944 assigned to the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) as Ventura serial number NZ4575. Reassembled by Unit 19 at Whenuapai Airfield. Assigned to No. 1 Squadron. No known nickname, nose art or markings. Mission History On October 10, 1944 at 6:00am took off from Espiritu Santo piloted by Flying Officer Selwyn C. Houghton on a ferry flight bound for Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. This Ventura was last heard from at 8:55am flying in bad weather. When it failed to arrive, it was declared Missing In Action (MIA). In fact, this aircraft crashed into a jungle covered hillside on the "Weather Coast" of southern Guadalcanal. The entire crew was killed on impact. Search On October 11, 1944 the crash site was spotted near Longu Mission. Recovery of Remains After the crash site was located, the remains of the crew were were recovered and buried near Avu Avu Mission Church on Guadalcanal. Afterwards, the location of the graves was lost and therefore all five crew members remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on October 9, 1944 by Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC). Although the remains of the crew were recovered and buried, their graves were lost and all remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). All five are memorialized at Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery (Bourail War Cemetery). Houghton on panel 4. Crisp and Douglas on panel 5. Robins and Larnach on panel 6. Wreckage This Ventura crashed into a jungle covered hillside on the "weather coast" of southern coast of Guadalcanal. During the early 2000s, the crash site was rediscovered by Regional Assistance Mission Solomon Islands (RAMSI) patrolling the weather coast. Sometime during the 2010s, the top turret and other pieces of wreckage from this Ventura was recovered during a salvage funded by Anders Markwarth. The turret is displayed upside down at the Markwarth Collection at Renandi. The top turret has both machine guns removed and is only the turret frame without any perspex glass. Misidentified as being associated with a "B-17 crashed on Guadalcanal". References Note, CWGC lists all five crew as dead October 9, 1944 other sources list the crash date as October 10, 1944. Navy Serial Number Search Results - PV-1 Ventura 48903 "48903 (MSN 237-6139) to New Zealand Feb 29, 1944 as NZ4575. Missing on flight from Espiritu Santo to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal on Oct 10, 1944. The aircraft was last heard from flying in bad weather. The wreckage was discovered the following day on a jungle covered hill in Southern Guadalcanal." ADF Serials - Ventura NZ4575 CWGC - Selwyn Charles Houghton CWGC - Joseph Robert Crisp CWGC - Geoffrey Francis Robins CWGC - Albert Leslie Douglas CWGC - Francis Edward Larnach Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated June 29, 2024 |
 PV-1 MIA 5 Missing |
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