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| USAAF 5th AF 43rd BG 64th BS  Mark Connolly 2011    Greg Dick via Steve Spinaze 2015 |
Pilot 1st Lt. John T. Parran, O-793828 (survived) Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Robert A. Miller (survived) Navigator 2nd Lt. Neul A. Lewallen (survived) Bombardier 2nd Lt. Robert Morris, O-734486 (MIA / KIA) CT Engineer TSgt Clarence H. Creamer (survived) Assistant Engineer S/Sgt James E. Robinson, 1303824 (WIA, died, BR) VA Radio TSgt Donald W. Mayer (survived) Assistant Radio SSgt John T. Mooney, 11031399 (MIA / KIA) Bristol County, MA Gunner SSgt John A. Miles (survived) Gunner SSgt Samuel H. Shapiro, 16125426 (MIA / KIA) Chicago, IL Ditched August 17, 1943 MACR 16186 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego at a cost of $297,627.00 using funds F-1 for Army Air Force Order Number AC-24620. Constructors Number 2058. On June 10, 1943 delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as B-24D-120-CO Liberator serial number 42-40981. On June 12, 1943 flown to Tucson, Arizona. On June 21, 1943 to the modification center at Topeka, Kansas. On July 5, 1943 flown to Fairfield Airfield then ferried via Hickham Field then across the Pacific to Australia arriving July 31, 1943. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF), 43rd Bombardment Group (43rd BG) "Ken's Men", 64th Bombardment Squadron (64th BS). Nicknamed "King of Clubs". Mission History On August 17, 1943 took off from 7-Mile Drome near Port Moresby piloted by 1st Lt. John T. Parran on a night bombing mission against Wewak. Returning, this B-24 encountered bad weather and climbed to 14,000' and flew southward. When it emerged from the clouds it was over the sea and turned to the north and then flew eastwards and then turned westward attempting to locate Port Moresby. Around 9:00am, low on fuel, pilot Parran ordered the crew to jettison extra equipment and take up brace positions for a ditching with five in the nose section and the other five in the rear fuselage before ditching into the sea in an inlet off the southern coast of New Guinea into the Torres Straits northwest of Saibai Island. During the landing, the B-24 skidded across the shallow water and the tail section broke off. The B-24 settled in the mud with the top of the wings above the water. The bomber was officially condemned on August 21, 1943. Fates of the Crew Aboard, two of the crew were badly injured. One was expelled though a hole ripped into the bottom of the plane during the landing. In the rear fuselage, Robinson was badly injured in the ditching, although removed from the wreckage he died within an hour. Also in the fuselage, the two .50 caliber waist guns were not jettisoned and during the ditching came loose and killed Shapiro and Mooney. Their bodies were never recoverd. Three of the crew: Robinson, Shapiro and Mooney remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). The rest of the surviving crew also sustained minor injuries. Afterwards, they used the two life rafts to paddle ashore and built a shelter using their parachutes and managed to radio Port Moresby to coordinate their rescue. Rescue That afternoon, the surviving crew were rescued by a U.S. Navy (USN) PBY Catalina and transported to Port Moresby, including Robinson's body. Wreckage This B-24 remains in situ into mud in an inlet into the Torres Straits. The wreckage is visible above the water level during low tide. During 1990, Brian Hall an employee of Hall Contracting Pty. Ltd. was operating a dredge for the Australian Government near Saibai Island and visited the wreckage of this bomber at low tide. After visiting the wreck, he contacted the U.S. authorities and was told the identity of the plane and that it was still an MIA site and made contact with former pilot Parran and recovered the left control column and sent it to him in the United States. During 1991, he also recovered a propeller blade and a .50 caliber machine gun from the bomber. Memorials The three Missing In Action (MIA) crew members were officially declared dead the day of the mission. All three earned the Air Medal and Purple Heart, postumously. All three are memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery. Robinson was buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 12, site 1536. The propeller and machine gun recovered were installed in a a memorial with a plaque at Hall Contracting Pty. Ltd., near Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. Mayer died in 1981 and is buried at Lacon Cemetery in Lacon, IL. Parran joined the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and served in the Korean War and Vietnam War. He retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and passed away on May 4, 2005 at age 90. Parran is buried at Bay Pines National Cemetery at section G site 189 in Bay Pines, Florida. References NARA - World War II Army Enlistment Records - John T. Mooney NARA - World War II Army Enlistment Records - Samuel H. Shapiro Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - B-24D Liberator Serial Number 42-40981 USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-120-CO Liberator 42-40981 Missing Air Crew Report 16186 (MACR 16186) created retroactively circa 1945-1946 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert Morris American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John T. Mooney American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Samuel H. Shapiro FindAGrave - John T Parran (grave photo) FindAGrave - Donald W. Mayer (grave photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Robert Morris (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt John T Mooney (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - SSgt Samuel H Shapiro (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - James E Robinson (grave photo Arlington National Cemetery) ANC Explorer - James E. Robinson (grave photo) PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator 42-40981 Australian Pilot March 2013 "Liberator Lost and Found" by Robert Piper pages 68-69 Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume 1 (2015) pages 256-258 (August 17, 1943), 320 (42-40981, August 17, 1943), 395 (index King of Clubs) Ken's Men Against The Empire Volume II (2015) page 372 (64th BS, 42-40981) Thanks to Edward Rogers and Mark Connolly for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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