USAAF
7th AF
494th BG
866th BS
Pilot Thomas Carwright (survived)
Co-Pilot Durden
Willam Looper (POW / KIA)
Engineer Buford J. Ellison (POW / KIA)
Radio Sgt. Hugh Atkinson (Seattle, WA) (POW/KIA)
Crew 2nd Lt. James Ryan (POW/KIA)
Crew S/Sgt. Ralph Neal (POW/KIA)
Crashed July 28, 1945
Mission
History
Attacked Hiroshima, Kure and Eta Jima anchorage. Shot down over the Inland Sea, and crashed
in a field, outside Hiroshima (need
to confrim crash location). All of the crew were
taken prisoner. Several of the crew members were interned
at the Chugoku Military Police Headquarters which was near
the epicenter of the atomic bomb. All except for the pilot
who was interned elsewhere perished immediately in the
atomic blast
POW Memorial
A Memorial
For the nine POWs killed by the atomic bomb was
placed at the site of the former headquarters in 1999. The
memorial was conceived and built by a Japanese resident of Hiroshima. Neal was killed by the bombing, he is buried in Barracks National Cemetery, Missouri.
Relatives
Gary Griffin adds:
"Durden Looper married into my family. Although he was killed
by the Atomic blast information has his body being buried at Jefferson
Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis in 1949. I don't know if some
remains were found later and buried or whether its just a memorial."
References
Thanks to Chris Valgardson for additional crew information. Thanks to P. Fazzini for additional information.
B-24
POW
