1st Lt. Harold R. Prince
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF)
3rd Bombardment Group (3rd BG), 90th Bombardment Squadron (90th BS)
Missing In Action (MIA) off New Guinea

Background
Harold R. Prince was born March 27, 1921 to parents Leona Prince Carr and an unknown father in Rochester, Monroe County, New York. According to Prince's Mom, the father abandon her soon after it was known she was pregnant His mother later married Willard S. Carr and the couple had two children: Willard Carr and Jack Carr who were Prince's half brothers. Prince graduated high school and worked at a chemical factory and was single.

Willard S. Carr worked Kodak in Rochester and when the company developed technicolor film for movies. During 1942, after Prince enlisted in the U.S. Army, the family moved to Santa Monica, California to support to Hollywood studios shooting technicolor. By 1944, the family resided at 1640 West 6th Street, Santa Monica, California.

Wartime History
On October 15, 1940 enlisted in the U.S. Army as private first class with serial number 20211256 in the National Guard. Later, assigned to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as an aviation cadet. He attended flight school, earned his wings and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant with serial number O-888775. On January 19, 1943 he was stationed at MacDill Field. On January 29, 1943 he was at Greenville, South Carolina. On February 19, 1943 at Kellogg Field, Michigan. On March 23, 1943 at Hamilton Field before deploying overseas.

Sent overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA) and joined the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 3rd Bombardment Group (3rd BG), 90th Bombardment Squadron (90th BS) as a pilot flying the A-20 Havoc in New Guinea. Promoted to the rank of 1st Lieutenant.

On November 2, 1943 flew as wingman for B-25D "Notre Dame De Victoire" 41-30316 pilot Major John "Jock" P. Henebry on a bombing and strafing mission against Rabaul flying as wingman for Jock Henebry.


During early 1944, photographed with A-20G "Barry's Baby I.N.S." 42-86768 parked at Nadzab Airfield shaking hands with Lt. Col John P. "Jock" Henebry (C.O. 3rd BG). By May 1944, Prince had flown over 70 combat missions and was due to be rotated back to the United States in late May or early June.



Mission History
On May 14, 1944 at 5:05pm took off piloting A-20G "Barry's Baby I.N.S." 42-86768 on a flight from Momote Airfield on Los Negros Island piloted by 1st Lt. Harold R. Prince on an administrative flight bound for Nadzab Airfield. The crew included gunner TSgt Ashford H. Cardwell, engineer TSgt Anthony Zulkus and passenger 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan, Jr. aboard as a courier. The weather was reported as good on the flight route. Forty minutes into the flight, this A-20 attempted to ditch in the sea but both engines failed roughly 30' altitude and nosed over impacting hard. When this aircraft failed to arrive it was officially listed as Missing In Action (MIA). After the crash, Prince, Cardwell and Finnegan were never seen again. Sole survivor Zulkus survived and was rescued by a barge and taken to Saidor where he was hospitalized.

Search
Afterwards, the search for this aircraft was led by Major Kenneth E. Rosebush. On May 15, 1944 a pair of A-20s piloted by Captain Dean and Major Kenneth E. Rosebush took off on a search mission but failed to locate any trace of the plane or missing crew members.

Memorials
The three missing crew: Prince, Cardwell and Finnegan were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All three are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Since the flight was deemed to be a non-combat flight, none of the crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously.

Prince earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and Air Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.

Relatives
Leona Prince Carr (mother)
Willard "Bill" Carr (Half brother)
Jack Carr (Half brother)

Steve Carr (Half-nephew)
"My Dad was Jack Carr and he was 7 years younger than Prince. Willard (Bill) was my uncle and he was 7 years younger than my Dad. Bill died in 2018 (as best I can remember). Bill had two daughters (Bonnie and Sandi) and we stay in contact via email. I’m hoping to speak with Bill’s wife Mary this weekend. My brother, Tom, was 3 years younger than myself and our sister (Leanne Carr Rincon) is married with two adult children. My brother and I first started researching Prince (as his squad members called him) in 2000 for my Dad as a father's day surprise in 2021. As we were researching, our Dad had a stroke. We were able to put together a presentation and delivered it to Dad and the rest of the family on Father's Day in a conference room at the rest home he was in. Dad died shortly thereafter. We lost our enthusiasm after Dad died and then my brother died in 2014. I've kept all the documentation we collected, including notes from conversations we had with fellow pilots from the 90th. I think what you'll find most interesting will be the various emails we got from those guys. Also have a few pictures of Prince and many of the rest of the gang."

References
Pacific Wrecks - A-20G Havoc 42-86768
NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Harold R. Prince
The Courier "Barry's Baby" June 1, 1944
"Here's a Havoc light bomber, stationed out in New Guinea, and named after Barry Faris, editor-in-chief-of International News Service by its crew. They got to know Faris when he made a tour of the Pacific fronts last year [1943]. The bomber, which has been prominet in the recent Hollandia action, has a sister ship named "The Pride of INS," Lieutenant Harold Prince, of Venice, Cal., second from left, is the pilot of the plane. Shown with hi are, left to right: Major Kenneth E. Rosebush, of Iola, Kan.: Lieutenant Colonel John P. Henebry, of Plainfield, Ill, and Lee Van Atta, youthful INS war correspondent in that area."
Individual Deceased Personnel File (IDPF) - Harold R. Prince
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Service Member Personnel Profile - 1st Lt Harold R. Prince
"Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Non-recoverable."
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Harold R. Prince
FindAGrave - 1Lt Harold R Prince (news, tablets of the missing photo)
Democrat & Chronicle "First Lt. H. R. Prince Killed In Action" July 14, 1944 page 15
"First Lt. Harold R. Prince, 23, was killed in action May 14, returning from a personal mission for Gen. MacArthur, according to a letter in the General has written to the officer's parents, Mr. and Mrs. William S. Carr of Santa Monica, Calif., formerly of Rochester."
Democrat & Chronicle "Hunt for answers: The mystery of Rochester pilot and Biden relative missing since WWII" by Gary Craid May 27, 2024
Thanks tp Steve Carr and Edward Rogers for additional research and analysis.

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