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| USAAF 7th AF 307th BG 372nd BS  307th BG c1943 |
Pilot 1st Lt. George F. Moznette, Jr. (MIA / KIA, BR) GA Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Malcolm D. Frankel, Jr., O-662552 (MIA / KIA) KY Navigator 2nd Lt. Charles L. Seymour (MIA / KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA Bombardier 1st Lt. James R. Carringer, Jr. (MIA / KIA, BR) NJ Special Intel Officer Captain John D. H. Hoyt (MIA / KIA) NY Crew SSgt Don Harp (MIA / KIA, BR) TX Crew Sgt Dalton E. Bowman (MIA / KIA, BR) TX Crew Sgt William W. Johnston (MIA / KIA) New York, NY Crew Pvt Frank M. Favia (MIA / KIA) Hillsborough County, FL Passenger Major Johnathan E. Coxwell, O-388654 C. O. 372nd BS (MIA / KIA) MT Crashed January 8, 1943 MACR 16218 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Constructors Number 724. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as a B-24D-13-CO Liberator serial number 41-23929. Wartime History Assigned to the 7th Air Force (7th AF), 307th Bombardment Group (307th BG), 372nd Bombardment Squadron (372nd BS). No known nickname or nose art. On October 24, 1942 took off from Hamilton Field piloted by 1st Lt John D. Nichols Jr. with co-pilot 2nd Lt Charlton Cuppernell, bombardier 2nd Lt James R Carringer, navigator Capt Phillip A Kreig, engineer SSgt Don Harp, radio, T/Sgt Vern H Tyrrell, assistant engineer Sgt Bernard J Forand, assistant radio operator SSgt Vance E Gilson, tail gunner Pfc Francis P McNamara and passenger Col William A. Matheny on a flight to Hickam Field as part of Operations Order #109 to form the original cadre of the 307th Bombardment Group (307th BG). Mission History On January 8, 1943 took off from Barking Sands Airfield piloted by 1st Lt. George F. Moznette, Jr. on a training flight leading a mock attack against Pearl Harbor on Oahu. Aboard as a passenger or command pilot was Major Johnathan E. Coxwell, Commanding Officer (C. O.) 372nd Bombardment Squadron (372nd BS). After take off, this B-24 crashed two miles off Barking Sands on Kaui (Kauaʻi). Officially condemned January 27, 1943. Search That morning, B-24 "Super Man" took off on a search mission for this missing bomber. While flying at 15,000' they spotted the B-24 offshore underwater. Recovery of Remains Afterwards, the remains of five of the crew were recovered and buried in Hawaii and postwar permanently buried in the United States. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. As the flight was non-combat, none of the crew earned the Purple Heart, posthumously. Five of the crew: Frankel, Hoyt, Johnston, Favia and Coxwell remain listed as Missing In Action (MIA). All five are memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at the court of the missing, court 7. Four of the crew are buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl). Moznette at plot Q, grave 384. Seymour at plot O, grave 112. Carringer at plot: A, gave 940. Bowman at plot N, grave 84 Harp is buried at Edgewood Cemetery in Crystal, TX. Frankel also has a memorial marker at Riverside Cemetery in Hopkinsville KY at section N. Hoyt also has a memorial marker at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, NY. The inscription reads: "Air Corps US Army. Killed in performance of his duties in the Pacific Theater." Previously, Coxwell earned the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his role flying B-17 Flying Fortress missions during the Battle of Midway. Relatives Jonathan Coxwell (son of Johnathan E. Coxwell) "My Father, Major Jonathan Coxwell, was commander of the 372nd squadron before his death in Jan 1943. Just prior to his death he received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Adm Nimitz for his part in the first raid on Wake Island. The scottie dog that is depicted on the squadron patch belonged to my mother and father and traveled with them all over central America prior to the Pearl Harbor. My father was flying sub patrols at the time I think in B-17s. I have a children's book written and illustrated by my grandmother about that dog but it was never published. I also have a water glass with the insignia on it. I was born just a few weeks after the death of my father, but still remember the dog being in the house when I was very young. Information about my father's military service has been very difficult to find. My son, Mark Coxwell, has been the most successful in finding bits and pieces on the web. If you have any information about the 307th Group and the 372 Squadron (especially early information from pre 1943) I would appreciate it. Also please copy my son." References Some sources incorrectly state the serial number of this bomber as “41-2329" or "41-24329" both are incorrect. Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC) - B-24D 41-23929 USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-13-CO Liberator 41-23929 Missing Air Crew Report 16218 (MACR 16218) was created retroactively circa 1945-1946 does not list the serial number and misspells the names of three of the crew: "Cominger" [sic, Carringer], "Dalton D. Newman" [sic, Dalton E Bowman] and "William W Johnston" [sic, William W. Johnson] Hiistory of the 307th Bomb Group (Hv) page 14 "On 8 February 1943 [sic 8 January 1943] fate struck again and Major Jonathon E. Coxwell, 372nd Squadron Commander, while taking off to lead a mock attack on Pearl Harbor, plummeted to his death off shore of Barking Sands Air Base on the Island of Kaoui. The entire crew was lost. WIth Major Coxwell were the following officers and enlisted men:" American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Malcolm D. Frankel Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John D. H. Hoyt American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - William W. Johnston American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Frank M. Favia American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Johnathan E. Coxwell FindAGrave - 1LT George F Moznette, Jr (grave photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Malcolm D Frankel, Jr (court of the missing) FindAGrave - 2LT Malcolm David Frankel, Jr (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2LT Charles L Seymour (grave photo) FindAGrave - 1LT James R Carringer, Jr (grave photo) FindAGrave -Capt John D H Hoyt (court of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Capt John D H Hoyt (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - SSGT La Don Harp (photo, grave photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Dalton E Bowman (grave photo) FindAGrave - Sgt William W Johnston (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Pvt Frank M Favia (courts of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Maj Jonathan E Coxwell (photos, court of the missing) Unbroken (2007) pages 82-83 "Coxwell had barely made it past takeoff. He had cleared the runway, turned and slammed into the water. Several crewmen had survived the crash and tried to swim to land, but sharks had found them. The men were Louie [Zamperini] wrote in his diary, 'literally ripped to pieces.'... They were buried in the cemetery in Honolulu, joining the men killed at Pearl Harbor." B24BestWeb - 307th Bomb Group - 372nd Bomb Squadron - Patch Description by Jonathan Coxwell Syracuse.com "CNY pilot killed in plane crash flew to honor father, who died flying B24 in WWII" July 11, 2017 Associated Press (AP) "Man killed in crash was inspired to fly by WWII hero father" July 11, 2017 "[On July 4, 2017] 74-year-old Jonathan Coxwell died July 4 when his single-engine plane crashed in a farm field in his hometown of Remsen. The cause is under investigation. The architect received his pilot’s license in 1967. He was inspired to fly by his father, an Army Air Force bomber pilot during WWII with the same name. The elder Coxwell died when his B-24 bomber crashed after takeoff on a training flight in Hawaii in 1943. His son was born a few months later." Thanks to Bob Livingstone and Pete Johnston 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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