USAAF
5th AF
43rd BG
63rd BS
September
17, 1943
Brian
Bennett 2004
Via JPAC 2004
Pilot 1st
Lt. William M Hafner, O-790659 (Norfolk, VA)
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt
Arthur C Aimacost, III, O-801750 (Cincinnati, OH)
Crew 2nd Lt
David R Eppright, O-669024 (Warrensburg, MO)
Crew 2nd It
Charles F Feucht, O-673790 (Reynoldsburg, OH)
Crew T/Sgt James
G. Lascelles, 32501454 (New York, NY)
Crew S/Sgt Wilburn
W Rozzell, 18129869 (Duncan, OK)
Crew T/Sgt Alfred
W Hill, 38089108 (Temple, OK)
Crew S/Sgt William
C Cameron, 19174370 (Los Angeles, CA)
Gunner-Radio T/Sgt Raymond
S. Cisneros, 38204263 (San Antonio,TX)
MACR 1069
MIA November
5, 1943
Discovery 2002
Crew History
The crew was part of the 2nd Sea Search Attack Squadron
assigned to Project Number 96189R.
Aircraft History
This aircraft had a radar mounted
in the fuselage. It departed the the United States on October 1, 1943 and flew overseas, arriving at 7-Mile
Drome in Port
Moresby on
October 21,
1943. The bomber and the crew were assigned to the 43rd Bomb Group.
Mission History
Took off from Dobodura on an armed reconnaissance mission to shadow a ten ship convoy near
Kavieng to the limit of their fuel. At 1:40am they radioed: "Three
direct hits on a CL [Light Cruiser] or CA [Heavy Cruiser], 0.3005 15100E target destroyed". Their final message was received at 1:20am "Turn on radio range". No further
messages were received and a search failed to locate the missing aircraft.
Discovery
This wreck was discovered outside Lae in 2002 by locals. The crash site was found at at 10,800' in
the Sarawagget Range, near the village of Imon. The
bomber's five day clock shows that it crashed at 1:21, a
minute after its last
radio call.
MIA Recovery Operation
This bomber was focus
of a
CILHI recovery
PP0088
during July
- August
2003 and 2004 led by Captian Paul Royale. In July 2006, the military announced that the crew of nine were all identified, and returned to their families for burial.
Case Resolved
Armacost, Cameron, Hafner and Lascelles were buried July 19, 2006 at Arlington National Cemetery, as were the group remains that couldn't be matched specifically to any missing airman. Individual remains of the other five have been buried elsewhere. Raymond Cisneros was buried in Webster, TX.
Relatives
Nancy Wilson (granddaughter of Cisneros)
B-24
MIA
CILHI New Release
Recovery
DOD
Release
Pilot's Widow
A Father Returns
