USAAF
5th AF
42nd BG
75th BS
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Pilot 2nd Lt Thomas O. Thompson. Jr., O-352317 (POW/MIA/KIA) TX
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt Carl C. Clemons, O-742137 (POW/MIA/KIA) WA
Bomb/Nav 2nd Lt John C. Henderson, O-673075 (MIA/KIA) MA
Engineer/Gunner S/Sgt Allen E. Cooperider, 35112902 (MIA/KIA) IN
Radio SSgt William K. Baer, 31140766 (MIA/KIA) MA
Gunner SSgt Ralph J Kirsch, 16046533 (MIA/KIA) WI
Crashed January 12, 1944
MACR 1800
Aircraft History
Assigned to the 42nd Bombardment Group, 75th Bombardment Squadron. Engines: R-2600-13 serial numbers L) 43-24284 R) 43-22830. This B-25 had 12 x 50 caliber machine guns installed, plus 2 x 30 caliber machine guns.
Mission History
Aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire. Crashed near Tobera Airfield. The crash was witnessed by 1st Lt. Otto R. Hartwits, Jr. aboard another B-25. Four men were seen to bail out over the target area. No search mission was flown afterwards.
Thompson and Clemons were captured and made prisoners, held captive by the 81st Naval Guard Unit. Neither man survived the war, and both were probably executed on or around April 12, 1944.
Jose Holguin papers mentions:
"Two other prisoners – Ensign John Osborn [USN] and Lt. Clements [co-pilot of B-25C 42-32319], Army Air Corps, joined us briefly at the new camp soon after our arrival, but were taken away by Japanese Navy Military Police on or about April 10. We never saw them again nor ever found out their ultimate fate."
Memorials
The crew was officially declared dead after the crash. Baer, Kirsch, Henderson, Thompson was declared dead on January 17, 1946. Clemons was declared dead on April 12, 1944. The entire crew is memorialized on the tablets of the missing at Manila American Cemetery.
Wreckage
US Army CILHI lists this site as PNG #29, but it is unclear if any search for this aircraft was ever undertaken.
References
Thanks to Edward Rogers for additional information.
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Last Updated
October 1, 2009
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B-25
MIA / POW
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