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| USN VT-21  USN 1943 |
Pilot Lt(jg) Murray “Chile” Charlton McKinney, 0-114265 (MIA / KIA) Sulphur Springs, TX Radio ARM2c Richard "Dick" Thomas Dole (survived) Des Moines, IA Gunner ARM2c Jacob Casper “Jack” Durner, Jr. (MIA / KIA) Norwalk, CT Ditched July 7, 1943 at 11:10pm Aircraft History Built by Grumman as Model G-40. Constructors Number 4111. Delivered to the U.S. Navy (USN) as TBF-1 Avenger bureau number 06063. Sent overseas to the South Pacific (SoPAC). Wartime History Assigned to Torpedo Squadron 21 (VT-21). Squadron number 125. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On July 7, 1943 at 5:20pm took off from Henderson Field piloted by Lt(jg) Murray C. McKinney armed with a 2,000 pound bomb as one of three Avengers on a bombing mission against Japanese shipping off the Buin to Kahili area of southern Bougainville. The Avengers were accompanied by Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Hudson NZ2033 to drop flares to illuminate the targets. Over the target at low level, Avenger bombed first and claimed a hit on a destroyer that "probably" sunk with the bomb landing forward of the bow and "covered" the ship in water. The second Avenger bomb hung up and failed to release. The third Avenger bombed but missed. Targeted by anti-aircraft fire from the ships that damaged two Avengers including this plane. This Avenger also claimed it was intercepted by a night fighter that killed gunner Durner. During the mission, a J1N1 Irving night fighter was airborne and shot down Hudson NZ2033. Returning with damage and a dead gunner, this Avenger managed to fly back to Guadalcanal but was to unable to lower the landing gear and instead ditched into Iron Bottom Sound north of Lunga Point at 11:10pm. During the ditching, McKinney and the body of Durner went down with the plane. Radio operator Dole suffered a broken wrist and regained consciousness floating in his life vest and saw no sign of the plane or other two crew. Fates of the Crew During the ditching, McKinney and the body of Durner went down with the plane. Radio operator Dole suffered a broken wrist and when he regained consciousness was floating in his life vest and saw no sign of the plane or other two crew. Within 5-10 minutes, he was rescued by USS Skylark (AM-63) that saw the plane ditch from roughly one nautical mile away and returned to shore at 5:45am. Memorials McKinney was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for the mission and Purple Heart, posthumously. McKinney is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. He also has a memorial marker at Sulphur Springs City Cemetery in Sulphur Springs, TX. Durner was officially declared dead the day of the mission. He earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Durner is memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Dole died October 11, 1993 at age 70. He is buried in Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson, Mississippi. Relatives Joe Hamrick (cousin of McKinney) References Navy Serial Number Search Results - TBF-1 Avenger 06063 U.S. Navy Loss List - TBF-1 Avenger 06063 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Murray C. McKinney FindAGrave - LtJG Murray Charlton “Chili” McKinney (photos, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - LTJG Murray Charlton McKinney (photos, memorial marker photo) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jacob C. Durner, Jr. FindAGrave - AR2c Jacob Casper Durner Jr. (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Richard T. Dole (grave photo) Torpedo Squadron 21 (VT-21) US Navy, Guadalcanal, WW-II Dedicated to Chile McKinney & Jack Durner Facebook - Project Avenger #125 South Pacific WWII Museum Newsletter April 2025 Volume 10 Number 4 "Honouring a lost hero of the Pacific War The remarkable story of Lt (jg) Murray “Chile” McKinney and the cousin who’s working to bring him home" [PDF pages 8-9] Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated May 11, 2025 |
 Avenger  MIA 2 Missing |
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