Pacific Wrecks Forum

Any and all information about this aircraft is requested. Pilot and crew are as follows:

Plane Number l6-4706:
2dlt WILLIAMS. Neal G. First Pilot (KIA)
2dLt SNYDER. William K. USMCR Co-Pilot
Pvt TROUP, John R. (376994) Navigator
TSgt SUMNER, Edmund W. (259924). Mechanic
Cpl JOLLY, Fred D. (296768) Radio Opcr
Lt FLAHERTY, Tom T. (MC) USN

TSgt Sumner survived the war and passed on 14 February 1986 at his home in Baltimore, MD.

I believe this aircraft was shot down or crashed with no loss of life in 1942 or early 1943. LT Williams was KIA later in the war.

Update: crash/shootdown is believed to have been in 1943.

Some of the War Diaries for VMJ-253 for 1943 are online on fold3.com. I can find the names of William Snyder and Neal Williams in them, so I think I am in the right group. The plane 4706 appears to have made many flights and appears in the diary up to June 18 1943 when it made a flight from New Caledonia to Guadalcanal. Then it does not appear in the subsequent month. No mention of a crash that I could find.

Thanks. Having made contact with Beth Crumley at Historical Section Quantico, she assures me that things are a Grade A SNAFU with casualty cards. Dad was wounded by a sniper severely enough to require evac to Mare Island Naval Hospital in 1943. Beth can't find Dad's casualty card, and because of the confusion of war, may never find it. I can't get into the Premium stuff on Fold3.

I wonder whatever happened to the plane. Mom swears that there was a crash and Dad didn't talk much about the war. Where might I find photos of the aircraft?