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| USAAF 20th AF 498th BG 873rd BS |
Pilot 1st Lt. William F. Beyhan, O-682772 (MIA / KIA) NM Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Norman F. Holdridge, O-827650 (MIA / KIA) MA Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles N. Jones, O-702188 (MIA / KIA) CA Bombardier 2nd Lt. Charles E. Parlette, O-698473 (MIA / KIA) OH Engineer 1st Lt. Charley A. Bride, O-864471 (MIA / KIA) CA Radio Sgt Thomas A. Waldron, 31090119 (MIA / KIA) MA CFC Gunner SSgt Frank E. Murphy Jr., 13108096 (MIA / KIA) PA Left Gunner SSgt Roy J. Crawford, 6687849 (MIA / KIA) PA Right Gunner Sgt Stewart B. Johnson, 16123347 (MIA / KIA) IL Radar Sgt Einar Nelson, 17154726 (MIA / KIA) ND Tail Gunner Stanley J. Woch, 6907073 (MIA / KIA) NY Crashed January 27, 1945 MACR 11621 Aircraft History Built by Boeing. Constructor Number 4428. Assigned to the 20th Air Force, 498th Bombardment Group, 873rd Bombardment Squadron. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engine and weapon serial numbers not noted in Missing Air Crew Report 11621 (MACR 11621). Mission History On January 27, 1945 took off from Isley Field on Saipan on a bombing mission against Nakajima Aircraft Factory in Musashino west of Tokyo. Inbound to the target, the formation experienced poor weather, intense flak and fighters attacked the formation. Over the target, this B-29 was likely rammed by a Ki-45 Nick twin engine fighter, likely Ki-45 Nick 4067 piloted by Kobayashi over Funabashi Chiba. Damaged, this B-29 ditched roughly 100 miles north of Iwo Jima. The entire crew was killed in the crash. When this B-29 failed to return, it was officially declared Missing In Action (MIA). Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead on January 28, 1946. The entire crew is memorialized on the courts of the missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Beyhan, Holdridge, Jones, Murphy, Crawford, Nelson and Parlette at court 7. Woch and Waldron at court 5. Holdridge also has a memorial marker at Pine Hill Cemetery in Dover, NH at section 3, lot 1276. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-29-45-BW Superfortress 42-24767 "24767 (498th BG, 873rd BS) rammed by Ki-45 fighter over Funabashi Chiba, Japan Jan 27, 1945 while on mission to Musashiho and Nakajima aircraft plants at Tokyo, and ditched 100 mi N of Iwo Jima Jan 27, 1945. MACR 11621. All crew killed." Missing Air Crew Report 11621 (MACR 11621) American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William F. Beyhan American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Norman F. Holdridge American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles N. Jones American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charles E. Parlette American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Charley A. Bride American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Thomas A. Waldron American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank E. Murphy Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Roy J. Crawford American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stewart B. Johnson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Einar Nelson American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Stanley J. Woch FindAGrave - 1Lt William F Beyhan (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Lieut Norman F Holdridge (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Norman F. Holdridge (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - Charles N. Jones FindAGrave - Charles E. Parlette FindAGrave - Charley A. Bride FindAGrave - Thomas A. Waldron FindAGrave - Frank E. Murphy Jr. FindAGrave - Roy J. Crawford FindAGrave - Stewart B. Johnson FindAGrave - Einar Nelson FindAGrave - Stanley J. Woch FindAGrave - SSgt Stanley J Woch (tablets of the missing photo) B-29 “Haley’s Comet” 42-24616 was not rammed by a Ki-45 Nick, but was shot by fighters over Target 357 and crashed at Shisui, Imba, on 27 January 1945 by Koji Takaki , February 9, 2011 Thanks to Koji Takaki 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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