Aircraft History
Engines 1830-65 Serial Numbers a) BP-425911 b) BP-425446 c) BP-425256 d) BP-425237. Machine Gun serial numbers were not noted on MACR.

Mission History
Took off from Panagarh Airfield, India on a course of 140 degrees to bomb Insein, Burma during clear weather.

About 40 minutes from Insein, the aircraft apparently under complete control, left the flight and was observed to proceed in a northeasterly direction into the interior of Burma. The bomber was last observed at 1205 at position 18 10' N 94 38' E. The circumstance of the loss for the aircraft are unknown. No search was conducted for the missing plane.

TSgt T. L. Humphries noted in MACR:
"I saw B-24J 42-73312 peel off and drop its landing gear at the same time our flight leader Lt. Gurtis did. He then pulled his gear back up and came back up into formation on our height. He was about 40 minutes from the target when he again peeled off to the right and came back under our ship going to our left at about 90 degrees to us. We had a heading of 140 degrees at that time. His engines were all running O. K. and the ship seemed to be under complete control. I watched him about 300 yards out and he was keeping the same heading."

Fate of the Crew as Prisoners
A Japanese broadcast revealed the aircraft developed engine problems over Burma and that the entire crew parachuted. The report further indicates the crew were prisoners of the Japanese.

Justin Taylan adds:
"A Nippon News wartime newsreel shows the bomber crash landed in enemy territory, as if it force landed (shown camouflaged with branches and shrubs - by the American crew?).  Also, the crew captured and interrogated and bomber being inspected by the Japanese soldiers."

The entire crew of ten was taken prisoner, interrogated and imprisoned at Rangoon POW Camp.

Sgt Norman Albinson died in Rangoon Central Jail during captivity (August 18, 1944). He died from malnutrition, beri beri and dysentery. The other nine crew members survived the war and were released.

The crew was liberated on May 4, 1945 and was afterwards discharged from the US Army. Postwar, pilot Lt. Kellam he was living in Syracuse, NY. Navigator Lt. Marcelio was based at Stewart Field, Newburgh NY.

Memorials
The only member of the crew deceased, Albinson was declared dead on August 18, 1944, he is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.

References
Thanks to Rachel Phillips of JPAC for MACR details

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Last Updated
December 15, 2008

B-24

POW
9 survived
1 KIA captivity

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