USAAF
5th AF
90th BG
321st BS

1943

Pilot  2nd Lt. John T. Moller, O-791231 (Mt. Vernon, NY)
Crew  1st Lt Stanley D Whitney Jr., O-662324 (Alameda, CA)
Crew  1st Lt Robert Thompson, O-727585
Crew  2nd Lt Olyn H. Hill, O-134561 (Louisville, Miss)
Crew  2nd Lt Leonard H. Weiler, O-673653
Crew  T/Sgt Harold E. Hampshire, 17031059 (Hull, IL)
Crew  T/Sgt Morris Acuff, 14044136 (Eustis, FL)
Crew  S/S9t Harris H. Horder "Skippy", 10641078 (Ervington, NJ)
Crew  S/Sgt Kosta Giannaras, 15087742 (Boone, WV)
Crew  S/Sgt Edward D. Rogers, 16023261 (Ashland, WI)
Crew  S/Sgt William Saltzman, 36045293 (Chicago, IL)
Crew  S/Sgt Joseph G. Barry, 17055379
Crashed  August 8, 1943
MACR  15575

Aircraft History
Delivered to the US Army in July 1942. It was assigned to the 90th Bombardment Group on September 12, 1942 at Sacramento, California.

Assigned to pilot 2nd Lt. Leroy C. Iverson, who flew the plane in combat through 1942 and 1943. A fanged black cat riding a bomb was painted by tail gunner Jack R. Cantrell.

Ferried over the Pacific via Hickam Field, Christmas Island, Samoa, Fiji, Plaine des Giacs, Amberley, and finally Mareeba. It became one of the first B-24 Liberators to appear in the theater. Damaged at Iron Range Airfield and repaired.

Mission History
Took off from 5-Mile Drome on a patrol of the north coast of New Guinea. After successfully completed their mission, the bomber experienced terrible weather conditions during the return flight. Last radio message was signaling Port Moresby to "turn on searchlights". Unable to find them, the pilot John Moller radioed his crew would bail out. That was the last ever heard of the crew. In fact, the bomber crashed into mangroves near Gaile Reach (Fairfax Station) to the west of Port Moresby.

Wreckage
After the crash, Allied forces reached the crash site and found that all had perished, and a pump needed to drain sea water from the mangroves in order to search for the remains of the crew.

Somewhat intact into the early 1970s, it has been largely scrapped since. Reportedly, portions of the wreck engines still remain.

Relatives
Cynthia Trenkamp (niece of Hampsmire)

References
Forty of the Fifth by Michael Claringbould, page 58 - 62
Thanks to Bob at B-24 Best Web for nose art identification

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