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| USMC MAW-1 MAG-14 VMSB-235 "Death Angels"   VMSB-235 1944 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Edward Julius Becker, O-026521 USMCR (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL Gunner Sgt Robert F. Van Derhaeghen, 447740 USMCR (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL MIA July 3, 1944 Aircraft History Built by Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo. Constructors Number 5564. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as SBD-5 Dauntless bureau number 54383. Wartime History Assigned to the United States Marine Corps (USMC), Marine Air Wing 1 (MAW-1), Marine Air Group 14 (MAG-14), Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 235 (VMSB-235) "Death Angels". Squadron Number 105. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On July 3, 1944 at 8:10am took off from Green Island Airfield (Nissan) piloted by 1st Lt. Edward J. Becker with gunner Sgt Robert F. Van Derhaeghen armed with a single 1,000 pound bomb and two 100 pound bombs as one of thrity-six SBDs from VMSB-235 led by Captain Edward C. Willard (C.O VMSB-235) on a dive bombing and strafing mission against "Target J" anti-aircraft guns west of Tobera Airfield. Two SBDs failed to take off and one aborted due to a magneto cut out and rough engine, leaving only thirty-three that proceeded to the target. The rest of the formation flying at 14,000' included a total of seventy-five bombers including forty-five SBD Dauntless dive bombers plus thirty TBF Avengers. The weather was good enroute and the target area was clear with unlimited visibility. The strike force was timed to arrive in the morning so their approach from the east would have the morning sun behind them. First, the SBDs were to begin their pushover from 9,000' with pullouts between 2,000' to 1,000'. Next, the thirty TBF Avengers each armed with a single 2,000 pound bomb would hit the runway. While pulling out from the dive bombing run, this SBD was hit by medium anti-aircraft fire and crashed in a small ravine one mile north of the target area and approximately five miles south of Ralum. When this plane failed to return it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Search Immediately after the crash, SBD pilot Captain Edward Willard (C.O, VMSB-235) circled the crash site until the dust cleared and observed the fuselage was intact, but the wings and engine had torn off before the plane came to rest in a dry ravine and was not on fire. Becker was seen slumped over in the front seat and the rear seat was empty. Likely, Vanderhaeghen was thrown out on impact as it was known he did not like to wear a safety harness for fear of drowning if the plane ditched. On July 4, 1944 SBD Dauntless dive bombers from VMSB-235 returned for another dive bombing mission against "Target J" anti-aircraft guns west of Tobera Airfield. Tobera. Reportedly, the SBDs overflew the crash site and saw no sign of life. Wreckage Postwar, American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) failed to locate the crash site. Memorials Both crew were officially declared dead on July 4, 1945. Both are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Becker earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. He was promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant, posthumously. Derhaeghen earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona at Section MA Site 59. Relatives Jim Acker adds: "Becker and Vanderhaeghen graduated from the Schurz High School in Chicago and ended up in the same squadron by accident. They were engaged to be married to two girls from the same school. Robert's sister is still alive. I haven't located Becker's family yet. He had a sister, but no brothers. Vanderhaeghen and his sister were the only two children in the family as well. Robert's sister, Delores Vanderhaeghen Novello was still alive [deceased April 22, 2006]. Her family wrote letters to the President, Commandant, Senators, Congressmen and so forth trying to get Robert's remains returned. The Commandant and Senator or Congressman Taft both said he was MIA/presumed dead. I got into this because my wife is an antique dealer and found a scrapbook in an estate sale. It had belonged to Bill Marti who was a gunner/observer in VMSB 235. He died in 1950 for reasons I haven't yet determined. His father died in 1954 and his mother in 1999. A distant relative in California said sell everything and send the money. I'm a former Marine and took the book to my office to scan some of the photographs. In the process I found the names and addresses of all of the gunners on the back of a photo labeled, "A Group Of Gunners On Bougainville". The print was in very faded sepia dye with many misspellings. Vanderhaeghen's name was spelled Vanderhaeghan for example. I was able to locate several survivors who have related the story I told you in addition to locating the Vanderhaeghen family. I am personally interested in bringing closure to their family. Since starting this quest, I've been in contact with several survivors from VMSB-235 and descendants. All have been very encouraging and forthcoming. One of the most notable is Al Prisby. Al's name and photograph was in Bill Marti's scrapbook, but not in the "Group of Gunners" photograph. His name in the scrapbook was spelled Pryz; a shortened version of Przybysz. During my research, I found an artist via the internet, Hayne Coleman, who was looking for photographs of VMSB-235 aircraft. Hayne said he was just putting the finishing touches on a painting called "Caldera". "Caldera" depicts a strike made by VMSB-235 on shipping in Simpson Harbor of Rabaul during May of '44. An SBD in the foreground is just starting a dive and it was piloted C. C. Morehead with Al Prisby (then Albin Przybysz) manning the guns. I told Hayne I could not only supply photographs of the aircraft assigned to 235, but had an excellent photo of Al Prisby. Al left the squadron at the end of May '44 after completing 3 combat tours for which he was recently awarded the Air Metal. He got married in the summer of '44 and had planned for Bob Vanderhaeghen to be his best man. The "Group of Gunners" photo was apparently taken in late May of '44 just prior to the 235 squadron being transferred to Green Island. I recently came into possession of the matching photo of the pilots during that same time frame and am starting to locate some of them. Time is short for obvious reasons." Mario Novello (nephew Sgt Robert F. Van Derhaeghen): "Sgt. Vanderhaeghen's parents received his Purple Heart posthumously. The Marine, Al Prisby, mentioned on the web page was from Chicago also and they met in boot camp in San Diego, went together to Gunnery School and served together in the South Pacific. They became best friends. They both were due for furloughs. Van was supposed to be Prisby's Best Man, but Van turned down his furlough and stayed in the islands because he had met a buddy from Chicago, Lt. Becker, and wanted to fly with him. So they stayed and were shot down and Prisby went home, married his sweetheart and had many children." References Navy Serial Number Search Results - SBD-5 Dauntless 54383 NARA Marine Scout Bombing Squadron Two Thirty Five (VMSB-235) War Diary 1 July 1944 to 31 July 1944 pages 3, 4, 6, 26-27, 28 (Page 3) "Roster of Flight Echelon - 2nd Lt. Becker, Edward J." (Page 4) "Roster of Flight Echelon (continued) - Van Derhaeghen, Robert F." (Page 6) "July 3: Gun positions in 'Target J', west of Tobera Airfield were targets for 33 SBDs, taking off at 0810, with return at 1035. The plane piloted by Second Lieutenant Edward J. Becker, USMCR, with Sergeant Robert F. Van Derhaeghen, USMCR, after releasing it's bombs and while in the pullout from the dive was hit by intense anti-aircraft fire from enemy medium guns (20mm) and was observed to crash in a small ravine one mile north of the target area, approximately five miles south of the shore line at Ralum, Blanche Bay, New Britain Island. The plane was not seen to burn. Both pilot and gunner are missing in action. Four other planes suffered moderate damage from AA. With the exception of two planes, whose bombs hung up, all bombs were dropped in the target area or assigned targets. See Mission Report." (Page 26) [Mission Report July 3, 1944] Strike Command SBD Intelligence Struck 3 July 1944 Damage to planes: Plane #105 [this aircraft] lost in combat. Personnel casualties: Second Lieutenant Edward Julius Becker, USMCR and Sergeant Robert F. Van Derhaeghen Observations: (2) Lieutenant Becker's plane seen to go down left wing nose down from about 2,000 feet at about 65 degree angle landing in a small ravine near craters or revetments about one mile north of the northerly 3 automatics in the target area (J)." (Page 27) [Mission Report July 3, 1944, continued] "Mission Log: Plane: 105 / Pilot: Becker / Gunner: Van Derhaeghen Call: 6 / Remark: Missing In Action" (Page 28) [Mission Report July 4, 1944] Observations: (3) Broken wings and fuselage observed in a bomb cratered clearing about 2 mikes NW of target are possibly SBD [this plane] lost 3 July 1944." American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward Julius Becker American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert F. Van Derhaeghen FindAGrave - 1Lt Edward Julius Becker (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt Robert F Van Derhaeghen (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Robert Van Derhaeghen (memorial marker photo) Thanks to Jim Acker and Mario Novello 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 January 25, 2024 |
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