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F-4U-1 Corsair, January 20,1944, Maj. Marion R. McCown Jr.,

Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:19 am
by Typhoon
Dear Members,



I am searching for the registration off the F-4U-1 who was crashed in Rabaul, when Maj. McCown was return from a combat mission.
In 1991 a Joint POW/MAI team excavated an F-4U crash site in Rabaul, also they found the body off Maj.McCown.
Can any one of you help to find me the registration and the plane his tail-number and the Sqn. whre the plane flying for.
Thank you very much to help me.




Mr.Abe v.d.Bijl,
The Netherlands.

Re: F-4U-1 Corsair, January 20,1944, Maj. Marion R. McCown Jr.,

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:51 am
by Alien_Aviator
The F4U-1 Bureau Number is 17448

Maj. McCowan Military ID is 9610

He was flying with VMF-312 when ha was KIA. He was MIA on 20 January 1944

Link for Military ID: http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/WWII_MIA/MAR_M_M.HTM

Link for BU and VMF Unit: http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/USN/LLjan44.htm

With his military ID you can obtain additional information on Maj McCowan from the US DOD Personnel Center in St. Louis, MO.


The USMC History Division at Quantico MCB can provide you with additional information on the F4U-1such as year manufactured, when it entered service and similar.

Hope this helps.

Re: F-4U-1 Corsair, January 20,1944, Maj. Marion R. McCown Jr.,

Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:09 pm
by Alien_Aviator
Typo it should be VMF-321 NOT 312.

An additional link for a local Charleston, SC paper

http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/dec ... turn65018/

Regarding McCown's F4U Corsair

Posted: Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:03 pm
by Justin Taylan
Dear all,

The case of McCown's F4U Corsair is now resolved with his burial in South Carolina January 18, 2009. I personally visited his crash site in July 2006. Here is the page on his loss, if anyone has any additional information on this case or corrections, let me know.

F4U Corsair 02402 piloted by McCown
http://pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/f4u/02402.html

The McCown case is quite confusing, due to conflicting records and errors. Specifically, the USN/USMC loss microfilm states he was lost piloting F4U 17448, when his remains and dogtag were found in the wreckage of F4U 02402. Maybe, at the last minute he switched planes? Or, loss records were not recorded accurately (they also list his name as "McGown" incorrectly). ABMC lists his home state as "SD" South Dakota, also in error. The more recent news releases list his rank as Major (was he promoted posthumously, if so when this happened?) Also, this crash site was first found in 1983 (the Bu No, human remains & McCown dogtag found), and reported to the US military in 1984 by Brian Bennett. CILHI / JPAC has made at least three visits to this site: 1991, July 2006 and May 2008.