I’m hoping someone here may be able to help me with a personal mission of mine.  I never knew my grandfather or his close friends so finding out information like this offers me the chance to get to know him and them in a way. I’ll offer up my thanks in advance to anyone that can help me with this.
 
In a conversation with my grandmother she told me about a friend of my grandfather’s that was killed when his plane crashed during the war. They knew him as Robey; she remembered that he was a tail gunner on a bomber and that his plane had crashed into a mountain. (I am searching for official confirmation of this.)
 
A few searches online and some trifling through an old trunk full of newspaper articles led me to more information.
 
His full name was Madison Robey Skeen, Jr. He enlisted in 1942 and was trained in Keesler Field, Mississippi; also stationed in South Carolina, Australia, and New Guinea. His plane crashed returning from a mission on Luzon on March 7, 1945.
 
Because he trained at Keesler Field I’m reasonably certain he flew on a B-24 Liberator and if that is the case there were only two B-24s that crashed that day.
 
44-40979 – MACR #14144
44-41481 – MACR #13313
 
Both are from the 43rd BG, listed as being lost in the SW Pacific. I assume that they were both on the same mission, but I have no way of knowing which of them is plane I am looking for.
 
Does anyone have any details about these planes, their MACRs, or crew lists? If so, was their a Madison Skeen Jr. listed on the crew list?
 
Thanks for any and all help. It is greatly appreciated!
 
~ Mary

Mary,
 
The plane you are looking for is definately 44-40979 a B24-J.  This plane crashed into a mountain due to bad weather and Madison R. Skeen Jr. (T/SGT) # 14149569 was killed on 3/7/45 (MACR # 14144).  Madison's body was recovered and burried on Luzon.
 
I have downloaded the pertinant pages from MACR # 14144 including a survivors account of this incident.  I will need your email address to send them to you, since I can not upload that much information here.  I will 'PM' you my email address - please reply if you would like me to send you the info...
 
Steve