I have recently received a bit of information regarding a B-24 J, #44-40548 that crashed on Mt. Laao, vicinity of Jaro, Leyte 10 January 1945. Their home base was Morotai.
 
Their mission was to bomb Grace Park Airdrom, Luzon.
 
They left group  formation to refuel on Leyte.
 
In this brief report ten names are listed.
 
I'll be glad to send them along if needed.
 
Regards
 

Mickey
Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler
13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force
KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines

"A Place Called Home"
WWII Families

44-40548 (5th BG) lost Jan 10, 1945, South Pacific.  MACR 11626

Jim McCabe
My father, Lt. Mike McCabe(deceased 4/26/05), 307th BG, 424th BS, was a Navigator based at Morotai. Mission dates ranged from 2/20/45-8/1/45.

Mickey,
I am brand new to this site as well as this technology, so I hope I am doing this correctly.

I believe that my uncle was pilot of the B24 that you are referring to that crashed on Jan. 10 1945.  He was 2nd Lt. Robert Powell.  My dad told me that Robert's plane crashed as he was taking off after refueling.  If you still have the article, I would like to hear all that was reported in the article.  Also, where did the article come from?

Thanks,
Julia

Hi Julia...welcome aboard!

It will take some time to locate the information I have. It wasn't an article but a list of some sort.

It had nothing to do with our case so I didn't pay much attention to it.

I'm sure you will have other responses. The folks in here are terrific and very helpful.

There is a member, John, who has researched many cases.

Please contact me if you have other questions and I will try to help.

Regards
Mickey

Mickey
Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler
13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force
KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines

"A Place Called Home"
WWII Families

Hi Julia

I found the information.

This is the list of crewmembers

Rusnak, John C            2nd Lt
Johnson, William M      2nd Lt
Heath, Victor R             F/O
Goldblum, Charles       2nd Lt
Stofka, Daniel F           Cpl
Pildis, Jacob                 Cpl
Woesner, Charles M    Cpl
Frschkorn, James E      Cpl
Trout, Arthur E             Cpl
Churchill, James H        Cpl

They were buried as a group 14 Dec 1949 Jefferson Barracks N/C ST. Louis MO, Plot 79 graves 449-450

Regards
Mickey

Mickey
Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler
13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force
KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines

"A Place Called Home"
WWII Families

Hi Mickey,

Thank you for the quick reply.  I guess I am back at square one trying to find out information about my uncle, Robert Powell.  I don't have a lot to go on, but I'll keep searching.

Thanks again,
Julia

Julia

Have you requested his IDPF? (Individual Deceased Personnel File)

And where is he buried?

What records do you have?

Mickey

Mickey
Devoted Sister of S/Sgt George L. Winkler
13th Air Force/FEAF/Jungle Air Force
KIA 3 April 1945 Cebu, Philippines

"A Place Called Home"
WWII Families

Mickey,

No, I have not ordered his IDPF yet.  I had not heard of it until yesterday.  What information does it provide?

According to the American Battle Monuments Commission, he was in the 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy.  He died on January 10, 1945, and is buried at the Manila American Cemetery.  I sent for his personnel records, I believe from St. Louis, but they were not able to locate his records, probably lost in the fire.  I have a clipping from a newspaper that says he was killed in action on January 10 over the island of Morotai.  He had been in the Army since 1939, first entering a medical detachment where he studied as a medical technician.  He transferred to the Army Air Corps about three years prior to his death.  After transferring he received his pilot's training and flew with the "Fighting 13th" bombing group, pilot of a B-24.
In the U.S. National Archives & Records Administration, I found his name on the World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing for the State of Mississippi.
That's all the documentation that I have. 

I've heard stories from the family through the years that he was taking off from a village, the plane was too heavy and as it began to go down, he steered it away from the village.

Thanks again for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you.

Julia

mickeyb


Hi Julia

I found the information.

This is the list of crewmembers

Rusnak, John C            2nd Lt
Johnson, William M      2nd Lt
Heath, Victor R             F/O
Goldblum, Charles       2nd Lt
Stofka, Daniel F           Cpl
Pildis, Jacob                 Cpl
Woesner, Charles M    Cpl
Frschkorn, James E      Cpl
Trout, Arthur E             Cpl
Churchill, James H        Cpl

They were buried as a group 14 Dec 1949 Jefferson Barracks N/C ST. Louis MO, Plot 79 graves 449-450

Regards
Mickey

The information that I have on the 10 January 1945 crash was as follows:

January 10, 1945: Aircraft went down returning to Morotai from a mission to Grace Park Airfield, Luzon, Philippines. 
Crew onboard:
2Lt Charles J. Killian
2Lt Gerald Long
2Lt Leo R. O'Rourk
F/O Leonard M. Carroll
Stagg Sergeant Arthur J. Aikman
Corporal Samuel S. Greenfield
Corporal Kurt B. Hollstein
Corporal Roger J. Tabshey
Private William V. Lancaster
and
Private Louis W. Thompson

This information is from reports in a booklet put together by Major General Russell L. Waldron, USAF, Retired, Commander of 31st Bombardment Squadron at the start of WWII entitled "SELECTED DATAT FROM THE HISTORY OF THE 31ST BOMBARDMENT SQUADRON (H) PRESENTED TO THE 31ST TEST AND EVALUATION SQUADRON (SAC)"

This booklet was presented in 1986 when the 31st TES was activated and had the honor of continuing the history of the 31st from 1917 to present.

This information has been verified as accurate by the 31st Bombardment Squadron Historian, who is currently finishing a two year research project culminating in the publishing of the complete history of the 31st Bombardment Squadron in WWII.