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| Missing In Action (MIA) | Prisoners Of War (POW) | Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) |
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| USAAF 5th AF 90th BG 321st BS  90th BG 1943 |
Pilot 1st Lt John Thomas O'Brien, O-736554 (MIA / KIA) Palatine, IL Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Earl G. Sherman, O-674526 (MIA / KIA) Springville, PA Navigator 1st Lt. Lawrence E. Kuhlman, O-725995 (MIA / KIA) OH Bombardier 2nd Lt. Edward A. Fay, Jr., O-734327 (MIA / KIA) CA Engineer TSgt Emmett Jones, 34266668 (MIA / KIA) Marion County, GA Radio TSgt Robert J. Beil, 15102304 (MIA / KIA) OH Gunner SSgt James W. Moore, Jr., 14123990 (MIA / KIA) NC Gunner SSgt Richard E. Smith, 6281847 (MIA / KIA) OK Gunner SSgt Jesse A. Tidwell, 6918368 (MIA / KIA) IL Gunner SSgt Warren G. Card, 17091507 (MIA / KIA) Mineral County, CO MIA November 6, 1943 at 3:20am MACR 1485 Aircraft History Built by Consolidated at San Diego. Constructors Number 2384. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as 42-72814. Ferried overseas via Hickam Field then across the Pacific to Australia. At either the Hawaiian Air Depot (HAD) or in Australia, this bomber was modified into a B-24D-1 with the installation of a nose turret for assignment to the 5th Air Force. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force, 90th Bombardment Group, 321st Bombardment Squadron. Converted to a B-24D-1. No known nickname or nose art. When lost, engines R-1830-43 serial numbers 42-90364, 42-90704, 42-90194 and 42-90467. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns serial numbers 382138, 113139, 382126, 362719, 381884, 382595, 382204 and 382771. Mission History On November 6, 1943 at 3:00an took off from Horanda No. 4 (Dobodura No. 4) near Dobodura piloted by 1st Lt John Thomas O'Brien on a weather reconnaissance mission over Rabaul then would return to land at Port Moresby. The weather during the flight was unknown. Their instructions were to radio in every 30 minutes during the mission. After their first radio message 20 minutes after takeoff, this B-24 was never heard from again. When it failed to return, the crew was listed as Missing In Action (MIA). Search Afterwards, two U.S. Navy (USN) PBY Catalinas searched for this bomber unsuccessfully. One other Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Catalinas also performed a search unsuccessfully. No trace of this aircraft was found. Memorials The entire crew was officially declared dead the day of the mission. All are memorialized at Manila American Cemetery on the tablets of the missing. O'Brien earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Hillside Cemetery in Palatine, IL. Sherman earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Kuhlman earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Fay earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Jones earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Beil earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Moore earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Smith earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Tidwell earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. He also has a memorial marker at Lakeview Cemetery in Johnston City, IL. Card earned the Silver Star, Air Medal, Purple Heart, posthumously. Relatives Tracy R. Young III (nephew Sherman) "Earl G. Sherman was born. December 27, 1922 and declared MIA November 6th, 1943 as a member of the 'Jolly Rogers'. He received a silver star, air medal, and purple heart." Lori Goff-O’Brien (daughter in law of O'Brien) "O’Brien was born and raised in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. He was an excellent student in school and a top athlete in the rural town of Palatine. In 1942 he joined the Army and immediately transferred into the Army Air Corps, which now is known as the Air force. After flight training he moved into a bomber group and was trained to fly B-24 bombers. He was then sent to his first and only duty station in Port Moresby. New Guinea was a very dangerous place at that time because the Japanese were still in control of that part of the Pacific plus the island of New Guinea has extremely bad weather patterns that made it very difficult for all the pilots who did not have the modern equipment for bad weather landings that we have today. Everything they did was strictly visual. On Lieutenant O’Brien’s 24th mission, he would have finished his tour of duty after 25, he was sent out at 3:30 am to do a recon mission to take pictures of the prior days raids. He was to run on radio silence and report in every 20 minutes. He reported in once and then was never heard from again. Rescue teams were sent out, but nothing was ever found and no one knows exactly what happened. His son John Jr., who he never saw, was eight weeks old. He was officially reported Missing In Action. Medals awarded are: Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Pacific Campaign (Asiatic), Purple Heart, Freedom Medal." References NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Earl G. Sherman NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Edward A. Fay, Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Emmett Jones NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Robert J. Beil NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - James W. Moore, Jr. NARA World War II Army Enlistment Records - Warren G. Card USAF Serial Number Search Results - B-24D-155-CO Liberator 42-72814 "72814 (90th BG, "Miss Deed") lost on weather recon mission near New Guinea Nov 6, 1943. MACR 1485. 11 KIA" Missing Air Crew Report 1485 (MACR 1485) created December 1943 Legacy of the 90th Bombardment Group page 43 PNG Museum Aircraft Status Card - B-24D Liberator 42-72814 American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - John T. O'Brien American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Earl G. Sherman American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Lawrence E. Kuhlmann American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Edward A. Fay, Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Emmett Jones American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Robert J. Beil American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - James W. Moore, Jr. American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Richard E. Smith American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jesse A. Tidwell American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Warren G. Card FindAGrave - 1Lt John T O'Brien (photos, tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Lieut John Thomas O'Brien (memorial marker photo) FindAGrave - 2Lt Earl Griffin Sherman (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - TSgt Robert J Beil (tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - SSgt Richard E Smith (tablets of the missing photo) FindAGrave - Sgt Jesse August Tidwell (photo, tablets of the missing) FindAGrave - Sgt Jesse August Tidwell (photo, memorial marker) FindAGrave - SSgt Warren G Card (tablets of the missing photo) Thanks to Pete Johnstone, Tracy R. Young III and Lori Goff-O’Brien 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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