Aircraft History
Accepted to the US Army on November 29, 1941 when Lt. John E. Dougherty flew the plane from Boeing Field.

Crew History
Earp of Penrith, NSW was 20 year old and a member of the RAAF. Attached to the USAAF 19th BG, 93rd BS. earned the Distinguished Service Cross (posthumously).
Matson earned the Distinguished Service Cross (posthumously), Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Cluster

Ferry Flight to Hawaii December 7, 1941
Carmichael and Lt. Donald Tower ferried the bomber from Hamilton Field bound for Hickam Field and arrived during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. They observed the attack and successfully landed at Haleva Airfield and was armed and refueled. While the ground, an A6M2 Zero straffed the airfield. Afterwards, the B-17 flew to Hickam Field.

Evacuation of General MacArthur
This B-17 was flown by Captain William Lewis on the mission of March 14, 1942 to evacuate General Douglas MacArthur from Del Monte Airfield in Mindanao to Batchelor Field in Australia.

Mission History
Took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby, on a bombing mission to Rabaul. This aircraft was deemed to have weak engines and had aborted several missions, but could still fly. Pease insisted on flying the aircraft on the mission.

After dropping bombs on Vunakanau Airfield, defending Zeros concentrated on Pease's aircraft, causing it to descend and knocking out an engine. The bomb bay fuel tank was seen to drop out on fire. No one observed the plane crash, but it was never seen again.

Edward M Jacquet, pilot of B-17E "Tojo's Jinx" 41-2462 recalls:
"[Pease was on his right wing] We hollered and screamed for the formation to slow down to protect Harl. We broke silence on our radios but of course they were very unreliable radios. Later the other pilots said they never heard us."

The entire crew went missing. For his actions that day, Pease earned the Medal of Honor and the entire crew awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, posthumously.

Wreckage
The crash site was visited by RAAF Searcher S/L Rundle on March 35, 1946. The wreckage was found near the junction of the Powell and Mavelo Rivers (Henry Reid River) on Makurapau Plantation, about seven miles WNW of Tol, many miles from where it had last been seen. Inside were the remains of the co-pilot and radio operator.

The remains of Earp were identified and recovered. American authorities were contacted about the other crew members.

According to post war investigations, Father O'Connell (mission internee) reported that Pease and Czechowski parachuted from the bomber near Kabakaul and were taken prisoner by the Japanese, and taken to Rabaul and interned at a POW Camp.

The other crew died inside the bomber when it crashed. Their bodies were buried behind a kiln at Makurarau by Father Obereiter. In post war investigations,

On October 8, 1942, a group of six POWs including Pease and Czechowski were taken from the POW Camp, presumably to work on construction at one of the airfields. Later that afternoon some of their clothing was returned to the prison camp, and it was inferred that they had all been killed.

Again, according to Father O'Connell, Pear was taken by the Japanese on October 8, 1942, and never seen again. Likely, they were executed. and their remains never found.

Unresolved MIA Case
This B-17 is an unresolved MIA case. A team from US Army CILHI led by Captain Woodard visited the crash site in 1986 and 1988. Also present at the recovery was Brian Bennett.

Brian Bennett adds:
"Our CILHI camp back in 1986. I remember that the wreckage was well sacttered and was consistent with the aircraft having blown up in the air.
From the lat/long position if you run a radius of about 500 metres then this will safely enclose the wreckage scatter of the B-17. It is of note that the radius i have marked does include the area of interest of David Billings and his "Earhart Project". I was of the opinion years ago and still am that it is highly likely that the engine that David speaks of that is from the Electra that Emelia was flying--is in fact one of the engines from B-17E 41-2429. We were on site for two weeks and did not find all the wreckage let alone all the engines. The river is the Powell River or Henry Reid River.

Display
During the 1988 CILHI recovery, the fuselage door and a radio (with two 7.7mm bullet holes in it) was recovered from the crash site and are displayed at the Kokopo Museum.

Memorials
The American crew members are memorialized at the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. Matson, Czechowski were declared dead on December 13, 1945. Earp is buried at Bitapaka War Cemetery at grave H. D. 5.

References
NAA Document "Fortress (41-2439) [sic]"
RAAF Status Card: "Fortress B-17E 41-2439 [sic]"
On Wings We Conquer pages 123-140, 181-184
In this record, a typo exists that notes this bomber as Serial Number 41-2439. This incorrect serial has been occasionally reproduced. Crew member Czechowski is also listed as 'Chikowsky' and 'Czechowske'. Crew member Liimatainen is also listed as 'Leomatinen'.
Thanks to Bruce Hoy, Brian Bennett and Edward Rogers for additional information.

Contribute Information
Do you have photos or additional information to add?

Last Updated
April 27, 2009

B-17

MIA
One Crew Recovered

MOH Citation