USAAF
5th AF
19th BG
30th BS
Brian Bennett 1986
Pilot 1st
Lt. Daniel W. Fagen, O-398681
Co-Pilot Lt Robert R
Meyer, O-416325
Navigator 2nd Lt. Ralph
Howard, O-431678
Bombardier Lt. Jim Sam Grant, O-419265
Crew Sgt.
Joe A. Carter, 6579316 (La Jolla, CA)
Gunner Sgt Edward
L Hargrove, 6580643
Gunner Sgt.
Paul A Reimer, 6580519
Gunner Sgt. Elton J. Rose, 6241916
Crashed April
24, 1942
Crew History
Ironically, on Fagan’s Fortress four of the crew members: Meyer, Howard, Hargrove and Rose had already visited Rabaul as part of a delivery flight from Hawaii to the Philippines in November 1941. After their loss, the pilot's widow remarried (Mrs Fagen-Plover). Jim S Grant had dream in 1942 about the name Owen Stanley mountains. Found name in atlas the next day. Robert R Meyer's family offered one million dollar reward to find wreck, but were discouraged by US Army's MACR says B-17 headed out to the Coral Sea.
Mission History
Four B-17s, led by Major Montgomery mission started from Cloncurry,
where the 19th BG was based to Townsville for briefing and bomb load. Departed Townsville mid-afternoon to arrive at 7-Mile Drome at Port Moresby early evening when minimum danger of air-raids. Planned departure was for 0330 hours next morning to arrive over Rabaul at dawn. After take off, a B-17 was heard circling Port Moresby before heading away, most likely trying to locate the field, it never returned.
Wreckage
After takeoff, it crashed the mountains to the east of Port Moresby,
41-2505 crashed into the south-eastern upper slopes at 9,000' on Mount
Obree. Only two years later in 1944 during a search for a missing C-47 "Flying Dutchman", this B-17 was seen from air, but identity of wreck was listed as unknown. Wreck complete from trailing edge to tail.
Re-Discovery 1961
Nineteen years later in March 1961 it was again spotted during a search for a missing Piaggio aircraft. On September 2, 1961 a US Army team of Lieutenant Jospeh Wheeler and Sargeant Henry Paolillo arrived to identify several US wrecks found during this era. They were sent to site by patrol officer David Marsh who gave erroneous info that it was a B-17 which a war correspondent had bailed out. The team reconnoitered site of #505, and identified it as such but incorrectly had the aircraft listed as one from which all crew survived.
Recovery of Remains
Around 1984,
then Curator of Modem History at PNG
National Museum, Bruce Hoy, convinced the US military that this
wreck was worthy of reexamination. Through assistance of a party
of men from Saunom village, a helipad was constructed at 11,000' on a ridge
above the wreckage, and Hoy made the first landing there in a Pacific
Helicopters’ chopper on June 15, 1986. An
eight-man recovery team from the US Army CILHI arrived
at the helipad on July 5, 1986. After establishing
a campsite, the team clambered down the ridge to the wreckage of the
Fortress, and commenced the arduous task of clearing the site mapping
the locations of the various parts of the aircraft. By early afternoon,
the first portions of crew remains had been located. Three days were
spent in searching the area, during which the remains of four others
were located.
Recovery Work Completed
Almost twelve months later, a larger and better equipped
team of twelve returned to Mt Obree and re-established the camp. Between
19th June and 12th July 1987 the team recovered the remains
of the rest of the crew. The cockpit section was rusting in the bed of a small stream. In addition to further crew remains many personal belongings were recovered – wallets, and expensive camera with spare lenses, knives from Mindanao, and the remains of wrist watches. No ID tags present. The clock in wreck was stopped at 0446. Complete waist gun with ammo. Filipino knife from Mindanao found in wreck.
An intact 50 caliber machine gun from the left waist gun was recovered from the aircraft. The CILHI EOD field stripped the weapon and on night and actually fired the gun over a ridge at night. Later, it was flown out to the PNG Museum.
Remains Identified
On November 15, 1990 after years of identification, crew were afforded a full military burial at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC. A gun carriage with four horses brought the casket containing remains of three of the crew who could not be separated to the site where the other five caskets were waiting. A firing party made a final salute.
Relatives
Douglas Wilcox (nephew of Jim Grant)
"I was present along with other family members at Arlington National Cemetery in the internment of the crew that perished."
References
Thanks to Bruce Hoy and Brian Bennett for details on the discovery and recovery, and
to Brian Bennett for the photograph. Also, Michael Kindig for information
about Sgt. Carter.
B-17
MIA
Resolved
Fortress on Mt. Obree
by Bruce Hoy
