USAAF
13th AF
42nd BG
390th BS
Brian Bennett 1982
Justin Taylan 2003
Pilot 1/st
Lt. Earl Swartzfager, O-736576
Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Robert K.
Williams, O-736587
Navigator 2nd Lt.
Kenneth R. Hough, O-674771
(Ottawa, KS)
Engineer S/Sgt Harold
F/ Tague, 37111602 (Malvern, Iowa)
Radio T/Sgt Victor
L. Koppang, 16004538
Gunner Aurthor A.
Merzlock, 16000064
Crashed January 20,
1944 at 1335 hours
MACR 1788
Aircraft History
Engines: R-2600-13 AAF Serial Numbers: 42-271125, 42-271235
Mission History
One of nine planes that took off from Stirling Airfield and staged through Torokina / Piva then attacked
Vunakanau Drome, near Rabaul. It was hit by ground fire, causing severe damage to the tail's control
surfaces. The aircraft was observed to suddenly nose
over and turn into a vertical bank, then nose dropped into a inverted
spin. It crashed between Warangoi and Sigut Rivers, near the bank of the lbrangoi River.
Wreckage
A group burial of some remains found after the war was made in
1949. Crash site was rediscovered in 1982 by logging activity and confirmed by Brian Bennett from one of the engine serial numbers. The next year, the remains of the crew
were recovered by US Army CILHI. After a long period of analysis Central Identification
Laboratory has been able to probably establish individual identifications
for the entire crew, and the case was resolved in 2004.
Brian Bennett adds:
"An elderly lady, Fern Lord contacted me in 2004 to thank me for helping find her brother. The lab had just asked her for DNA sample. I could not place the crewman's name, but hunted it out and found that he was on B25-42-64570. I reported the finding of this site and it was recovered for remains in 1983."
Display
A section of this beautifully preserved nose art is displayed
at the Kokopo Museum near Rabaul.
References
The Crusaders: A History of the 42nd Bombardment Group page 65
B-25
MIA Resolved
1983 - 2004
Photo Archive
Hough Burial
