Need Some Help

Dear Forum Members:
 
My daughter and I are doing some historical research on two Air Force flyers who died during WWII.  We became involved in this project when we noticed the grave markers of two twin brothers - both navigator/bomb. - who died within one week of each other during WWII.  My 11 year old daughter and now turned this into her school project, and we are trying to collect information on the two brothers for her report.
 
The first brother was named Earl Thomas Miller, and he died on August 31, 1943 over France.  Earl Miller was a crew member on a B-26 named the King Bee (558 Bomb Sq), and his plane was blown apart by German flak while on a bombing mission to a German-held air field.  We have had the most success on collecting information on Earl, but we are still looking for more information.  We are especially curious about how we might confirm where he was buried.  It appears the the crew members of the King Bee were originally buried at the Albert Calmet Hospital Cemetery, and later moved to the American War Cemetery Margraten.  However, Earl and his brother were subsequently buried in Salem, Virginia in December of 1948.  Is there any way we can find out what cemetery Earl was originally buried in?  And was it typical for family members to have bodies moved from Europe to the United States after the war?  Was it expensive?
 
The second brother was named Richard Edward Miller, and he died on August 24, 1943 in China.  Richard was a member of the 425 Bomb Sq.  He was a navigator/bomb. aboard a B-24.  We THINK that he might have also been a member 308 Bomb Group (Heavy), but we are "guessing" based on an article we read.  According to records, the 308 Bomb Group had a fateful mission to Hankow, China on August 24, 1943 - a mission that resulted in 6 to the 7 bombers being shot down.  We don't know the name of Richard's bomber, or what happened to him.  ANY information we can get, including pictures of the bomber and the crew and details on Richard's final mission, would be great.
 
Many thanks - Todd and Gabby :D

I presume you've looked for the Missing Air Crew Report (MACR) at www.fold3.com .  You've got a great deal of information.  Try searching the group/squadron websites - also keep track of their serial numbers.  With name, serial number, and unit numbers I suspect you can find even more. 
 "Miller" is a tough name to hunt.

Todd - 8/31/43
The Target for the 387th BG was the Airfield at
Lille / Vendeville. This fits with Hal's Post that He
was initially buried at Lille Cemetery.
Familys of Crewmen were given the choice of
leaving them where they were buried Overseas
or having them shipped home for Burial in a
Cemetery of their choice. Familys were not charged
any $$ for bringing them Home.
Mike 

Virginia Historian

The second brother was named Richard Edward Miller, and he died on August 24, 1943 in China.  Richard was a member of the 425 Bomb Sq.  He was a navigator/bomb. aboard a B-24.  We THINK that he might have also been a member 308 Bomb Group (Heavy), but we are "guessing" based on an article we read.  According to records, the 308 Bomb Group had a fateful mission to Hankow, China on August 24, 1943 - a mission that resulted in 6 to the 7 bombers being shot down.  

 
Fourteen B-24s -- seven from the 373rd Squadron based at Yangkai, and seven from the 425th Squadron (two of the four squadrons composing the 308th [Heavy] Bomb Group) at Kunming - took off on the morning of August 24 to bomb the aerodrome at Hankow.  The planes of the 373rd were forced to turn back immediately after takeoff as the weather closed in, leaving the 425th aircraft to rendezvous with their fighter escort and proceed to the target. 
 
About two or three minutes after delivering their bomb loads, the squadron was attacked by enemy fighters;  during a running battle, four Liberators were shot down.  Ship Number 849, "Cabin in the Sky" was hit;  with one engine feathered and another knocked out, the wing ablaze, observers stated that they saw three men parachute from the burning aircraft.
 
The Group History lists "2nd Lt. R.E. Miller" among the 10-man crew as the navigator of Ship No. 849, "Cabin in the Sky" -- B-24D serial 42-40849 piloted by 1st Lt. D.E. Holder, who along with co-pilot 2nd Lt. G.W. Mosall were the only two to escape the burning plane, returning to Kunming more than two weeks later.
 
Only one plane returned to Kunming after the mission, leading commanders to believe that six aircraft were lost.  One plane was forced to land at Hengyeng to attend to injured crewmen, and two landed at Kweilin;  tragically one of these was lost the next day as it crashed while returning to Kunming, killing most the crew and destroying the interrogation records of the previous day's mission.
 
 

Todd and Gabby,
 
Earl T Miller, 2nd Lt. O-732882      Temporary Burial, Margraten, Aachen, Belgium
Permanent burial:  Virginia        I also found an enlistment record for an Earl T Miller who was born in 1915 and enlisted at Richmond, Virginia.
 
Richard E. Miller, 2nd Lt. O-673609     Temporary Burial, Mausoleum #2, Territory of Hawaii
Permanent Burial:  Virginia
 
The information about the permanent resting place in Virginia was obtained from the Next-of-Kin.  If these are the correct brothers it appears that the family had their remains returned to the U.S.  Hope this helps in your search. 
 
The 1930 census has the family living in Salem, Virginia.  Father Sudney,52, Mother Dove T, 49, Elizabeth T 15, Richard E 14, Earl T 14, and Louise T 12. 
Roy

Alan:
 
Gabby and I want to thank you for your help.  Is there any type of website where one can look for photographs of these planes?  We'd love to find a picture of Cabin in the Sky.
 
Todd

Alan:
 
The pictures of King Bee are stunning.  And awful.  What are the odds that a picture would be taken as the plane blew apart?
 
As for the second link, I think that this is another "Cabin in the Sky" - wrong date.  Was that a popular name?