Crew  2nd Lt. Wilson C. Cater, O-789685 (MIA / KIA)
Co-Pilot  SSgt Glenn E. Webb, 20823453 (MIA)
Crew Chief  MSgt Donald A. Mackey, 6846419 (MIA / KIA)
Crashed  October 16, 1942

Aircraft History
Constructor Number 4710. Assigned to the USAAF on September 11, 1942. Assigned to the 5th Air Force on October 3, 1942 with tail code VH-CFL. Officially condemned on October 18, 1942.

Mission History
Took off on a supply drop to deliver food to and supplies to troops in the area. The aircraft never returned and all the crew were killed.

Wreckage
Crashed into a stream bed near Bodinumu village. Discovered around 1980. In 1982, CILHI investigated the wreck and recovered the remains of one crew member, unidentified.

Justin Taylan adds:
"In July 2003 I visited this site. The cockpit and forward half of the fuselage is is crumpled and buried by erosion. The tail section is present fairly intact. The tail serial number and traces of the original paint were present at the crash. The fuselage door was missing, maybe removed prior to take off. Among the cargo were weapons, as the remains of a BAR from the wreck Bodinumu villagers remember the airplane circling the area once and dropping supplies. On a second run, the aircraft crashed, landing in a stream bed. Villagers went to the crash site and attempted to help the crew, but found them all dead, and buried them near the stream."

MIA Recovery
In 1982, the CILHI investigated the wreck and recovered the remains of one crew member, unidentified. On January 20, 1999 CILHI again returned to the site and did additional recovery work. Current case status unknown.

Memorials
Cater and Mackey were recovered at some point, likely during or post war and were buried in Australia. Later exhumed, M/Sgt Mackey was buried in Plot D, Row 0 Grave 281 at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. 2nd Lt Cater was buried at Vicksburg National Cemetery. S/Sgt Webb is listed on the Tablets of the Missing at Manila American Cemetery & Memorial, and is still MIA.

References
Allied Air Transport Operations South West Pacific Area in WWII Volume 1, page 347. Thanks to Ted Darcy and Daniel Leahy for additional information.

Contribute Information
Contact Us Are you a relative or family member of one of crew?

C-47

MIA

Photo Archive

9 6'
147 39'

View on Google Earth