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| USAAF FEAF 7th BG 11th BS |
Pilot Major Edson Eugene Kester, O-22354 (MIA / KIA) OK Co-Pilot Captain William "Bill" Ragsdale, Jr., O-022514 (MIA / KIA) Griggs, OK Passenger Sgt Melvin O. Donoho, 18003946, 17th PS, armorer (survived) Covington, OK Passenger Sgt Willard J. Beatty, 6256686 24th PG, 17th PS (MIA / KIA) CO Passenger Captain Charles A. Stafford, O-22686 Medical Corps (MIA / KIA) WY Passenger Keats Poad, O-421213 (MIA / KIA) Wilkes-Barre, PA Passenger 2nd Lt. Richard L. Taylor, O-427045 (MIA / KIA) NY Passenger SSgt Howard C. Cliff, 7021697 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger SSgt John M. Rex, 6581412 (MIA / KIA) UT Passenger SSgt Elvin P. Westcott, 6386186 (MIA / KIA) MS Passenger Sgt Samuel F. Foster, 6252463 (MIA / KIA) AR Passenger Cpl Jack T. Taylor, 18034892 (MIA / KIA) TX Passenger Pvt Richard G. Sheetz, 13000321 (MIA / KIA) VA Passenger 2nd Lt. Howard K Petschel, O-412158 7th BG, HQ (MIA / KIA) MN Passenger Captain Charles A. Stafford, O-022686 Medical Corps (MIA / KIA) WY Passenger Captain Harry W. Markey, O-021663 (MIA / KIA) WA Passenger Pvt Joseph N. Gordon, 34044808 52nd Signal Battalion (MIA / KIA) TN Passenger Pfc Nicholas D. Bunardzya, 6999625 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger Pvt Clarence B. Johnson, 20911984 43d Material Sq, 32d ABG (MIA / KIA) CA Passenger SSgt Leo D. Steinmetz, 6914316 (MIA / KIA) KS Passenger Cpl Hubert McDonald, 14029544 (MIA / KIA) GA Crashed March 3, 1942 at 9:30am MACR 15467 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation at San Diego during 1941. Constructors Number 6. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24A Liberator serial number 40-2374. Prewar, assigned to Ferrying Command based at Bolling Field. Prewar, painted in neutrality markings with a large U.S. flag on the side of the nose. At the start of the Pacific War, assigned to the Far East Air Force (FEAF), 7th Bombardment Group (7th BG), 11th Bombardment Squadron (11th BS). No known nose art or nickname. Aircraft number "74". Wartime History On March 2, 1942 took off piloted by Major Edson Kester on a flight from Melbourne to Broome Airfield with a crew of only three aboard with all weapons removed. Mission History On March 3, 1942 at 9:15am at Broome Airfield pilot Major Edson Eugene Kester was given a list of nineteen evacuees from Java to be flown southward to Perth. Among the passengers was Captain Charles Stafford (7th Bombardment Group medical officer) with wounded under his care. Also, seven ground crew from the 17th Pursuit Squadron including Sgt Beatty and Sgt Donoho. At 9:23am took off again from Broome Airfield at 9:23am just prior to the Japanese air raid against Broome. Overloaded, this B-24 struggled to climb to 600' altitude and was attacked by A6M2 Zero piloted by Warrant Officer Osamu Kudo who had just strafed the airfield. Hit in the fuselage fuel tank, the bomber caught fire and crashed into Roebuck Bay roughly 10 miles from shore and 7 miles off Cable Beach. On impact, the fuselage broken into two pieces, the wings separated and the pieces sank within three minutes. Fates of the Crew During the crash, Donoho was thrown clear of the fuselage and found Beatty. Both donned life jackets and began swimming towards shore for the remainder of the day and night, fighting the 30' tidal waves. Near shore, Donoho observed that Beatty gave up from exhaustion, and was not seen again. It is claimed that Beatty's body was later found by Australians on the beach. According to a 1943 article by war correspondent George Weller, the Australians who found Beatty's body “found signs of life, but he remained completely delirious. Flown the same day to Perth, he died there in hospital in 24 hours without regaining consciousness”. Beatty is still listed as Missing In Action (MIA), yet presumably was buried in Australia after he died. Reportedly, his brother traveled to Australia years later to search for him, but never found anything. Also, it is possible he was buried in Australia and his remains never recovered by the American military. Or, he in fact died at sea and his body was never found and recovered. Donoho managed to reach the shore and walked to Broome, arriving at Broome Airfield during the evening of March 4. He angrily reported to Lt. Col Legg that no search had been mounted to search for more of the crew. Afterwards he was sent to the hospital to recuperate, and the next evening evacuated to Perth. Memorials All the crew were officially declared dead on March 3, 1942. Beatty and Bunardzya were officially declared dead July 3, 1942. All are memorialized on at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. Kester earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) with Oak Leaf Cluster and Purple Heart, posthumously. Stafford earned the Silver Star and Purple Heart, posthumously. USAHS Charles A. Stafford was named in honor of passenger Captain Charles A. Stafford. Bob Waterhouse adds: "The Returned Services Club in Broome dedicated a memorial in 2001 to these men and some 100 Dutch refugees from Java who were killed on the Flying boats during the Japanese attack on that day." Sole survior Donoho died April 16, 1968 at age 54. He is buried at Sunset Gardens Cemetery in Carlsbad, NM at K- 196-3. Relatives Arvon Staats (nephew of Sgt Samuel Foster) Glenn Beatty (brother of Willard Beatty) References Missing Air Crew Report 15467 (MACR 15467) was created retroactively circa 1947 does not list the B-24 serial number and lists the unit as the 19th Bombardment Group, 10th Ferrying Squadron and loss at 10:00am USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24A Liberator 40-2374 "2374 (7th BG, 11th BS) destroyed by strafing after Java evacuation Mar 3, 1942." Everyday A Nightmare (2010) pages 327-328, 331-332 Oz@War crash of two B-24s 3 March 1942 incorrectly lists serial number as 40-2370 The Ongoing Mystery of Sgt Willard Beatty, USAAF (PDF) Military "The Unknown Fate of Sgt. Willard J. Beatty" May 2003 by Charles Jarrells FindAGrave - Maj Edson Eugene Kester (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Capt William Pleasant Ragsdale Jr. (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt Willard J Beatty (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Capt Charles Arthur Stafford (photos, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - 1Lt Keats Poad (photos, FindAGrave - FindAGrave - FindAGrave - FindAGrave - FindAGrave - Melvin Orvil Donoho (grave photos) Passenger Keats Poad, O-421213 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger 2nd Lt. Richard L. Taylor, O-427045 (MIA / KIA) NY Passenger SSgt Howard C. Cliff, 7021697 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger SSgt John M. Rex, 6581412 (MIA / KIA) UT Passenger SSgt Elvin P. Westcott, 6386186 (MIA / KIA) MS Passenger Sgt Samuel F. Foster, 6252463 (MIA / KIA) AR Passenger Cpl Jack T. Taylor, 18034892 (MIA / KIA) TX Passenger Pvt Richard G. Sheetz, 13000321 (MIA / KIA) VA Passenger 2nd Lt. Howard K Petschel, O-412158 7th BG, HQ (MIA / KIA) MN Passenger Captain Charles A. Stafford, O-022686 Medical Corps (MIA / KIA) WY Passenger Captain Harry W. Markey, O-021663 (MIA / KIA) WA Passenger Pvt Joseph N. Gordon, 34044808 52nd Signal Battalion (MIA / KIA) TN Passenger Pfc Nicholas D. Bunardzya, 6999625 (MIA / KIA) PA Passenger Pvt Clarence B. Johnson, 20911984 43d Material Sq, 32d ABG (MIA / KIA) CA Passenger SSgt Leo D. Steinmetz, 6914316 (MIA / KIA) KS Passenger Cpl Hubert McDonald, 14029544 (MIA / KIA) GA Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated October 20, 2025
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