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  C-54E-1-DO Skymaster Serial Number 44-9043  
USAAF
ATC

Pilot  Captain William V. Mudra, O-O1699213 1503th ATC Base Unit (KIA, BR) South Gate, CA
Crew  
F/O Arthur A. Houghton, T-184093 USAAF, 6th Ferry Group (KIA, BR) Los Angeles, CA
Crew  1st Lt. Jennings M. Peterson, O-804972, USAAF, 1503rd Air Force Base Unit (KIA, BR) Des Moines, IA
Crew  1st Lt. Delmar E. Wortman (KIA, BR) Grandview, WA
Crew  Lt. Rex S. Brown (KIA, BR) Cleveland Heights, OH
Crew  SSgt Charles N. Benson (KIA, BR) Long Beach, CA
Crew  SSgt Arthur T. Dale, 35037609 USAAF 1503rd Air Force Base Unit (KIA, BR) Columbus, OH
Crew  Pfc Edward V. Seymour, USAAF, 1503rd Air Force Base Unit (KIA, BR) CA
Passenger  Cpl Jack A. Collier, 13066039 USAAF, 6th Ferry Group (KIA, BR) VA
Passenger  W/O Russell T. Crawford, W-2122575 U.S. Army, 742nd AAA Gun Battalion (KIA, BR) Wilmington, DE
Passenger  Ensign John J. Czelusmiak, 32447408 USAAF, 6th Ferry Group (KIA, BR)
Passenger  Pfc Louis T. Nerud, 36765656 USAAF 1552nd AAF Base Unit (KIA, BR) IL
Passenger  F/O Paul Reinbald, O-931839 USAAF, 6th Ferry Group (KIA, BR)
Passenger  SSgt Howard O. Scott, 14054336 USAAF 1505th AAF Base Unit (KIA, BR) Greensboro, NC
Passenger  Captain Frank E. Stewart, O-438656 USAAF, 6th Ferry Group (KIA, BR) Staten Island, NY
Passenger  Ensign Alfred J. Dell'Aquila, 165273 USNR (KIA, BR) New York, NY
Passenger  BM1C Edward C. Ellis, 5600950 USNR (KIA, BR) Huntington, WV
Passenger  S1C Jesse J. Lucas, 8554195 USNR (KIA, BR) Cincinnati, OH
Passenger  Cox Philip Frank, 2749461 USNR (KIA, BR)
Passenger  S3C Chester W. Davidson, 3010624 USNR (KIA, BR) Berwyn, IL
Passenger  MMM2c Romeo A. Natoli, 8039464 USNR (KIA, BR) MA
Crashed  May 5, 1945
MACR  15693

Aircraft History
Built by Douglas Aircraft Company. Constructors Number 27269. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-54E-1-DO Skymaster serial number 44-9043. Assigned to Air Transport Command (ATC). No known nose art or nickname. When lost, engine serial numbers were not noted in noted in Missing Air Crew Report 15693 (MACR 15693).

Mission History
On May 5, 1945 took off from Lorengau Airfield on Manus Island piloted by Captain William V. Mudra on a transport flight bound for Biak. After take off, this aircraft struck high ground and crashed on Manus Island. Aboard were passengers from the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) and U.S. Navy (USN). All twenty-one aboard were killed in the crash.

Memorials
The entire crew and passengers were officially declared dead the day of the mission. After the crash, the remains of the crew were recovered and buried. Postwar, they were exhumed and transported to the Philippines and United States for permanent burial.

On March 23, 1952 eight were buried in a group burial at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery at section 85 site 70. The group burial includes: Crawford, Davidson, Dell'Aquila, Ellis, Houghton, Lucas, Stewart and Wortman.

Four of the crew are buried individually at Manila American Cemetery. Peterson at Plot A Row 3 Grave 104. Dale at Plot B Row 8 Grave 139. Collier at Plot L Row 17 Grave 123. Nerud at Plot H Row 8 Grave 129.

Mudra is buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, CA at plot out gr 1 div c, lot 295 in the cedars.

Brown is buried at Woodlawn National Cemetery in Elmira, NY at section B, site 3007.

Seymour is buried at Baxter Springs Cemetery in Baxter Springs, KS at section D1.

Natoli is buried at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (Punchbowl) at plot E, grave 220.

The burials for Frank, Reinbald and Czelusmiak are unknown, presumed to be in a private cemetery in the United States.

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-54E-1-DO Skymaster 44-9043
"9043 (MSN 27269) struck high ground after takeoff Manus Island, New Guinea May 5, 1945. All 21 onboard killed. MACR 15693"
Missing Air Crew Report 15693 (MACR 15693) created circa 1945
May 1945 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports - C-54 44-9043
FindAGrave - William V. Mudra (grave photo)
FindAGrave - FO Arthur Andrew Houghton (group burial photo)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jennings M. Peterson
FindAGrave - 1Lt Jennings M. Peterson (Manila American Cemetery grave)
FindAGrave - 1LT Delmar E Wortman (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - 1LT Rex S Brown (grave photo)
FindAGrave - SSgt Charles Henry Benson (grave photos)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Arthur T. Dale
FindAGrave - SSgt Arthur T. Dale (Manila American Cemetery grave photo)
FindAGrave - PFC Edward Valjean Seymour (grave photo)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Jack A. Collier
FindAGrave - CPL Jack A Collier (Manila American Cemetery grave photo)
FindAGrave - CWO Russell T Crawford (group burial photo)
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) - Louis T. Nerud
FindAGrave - PFC Louis T. Nerud (Manila American Cemetery grave photo)
FindAGrave - SSGT Howard O Scott (photo, obituary, grave photo)
FindAGrave - Capt Frank E Stewart (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - ENS Alfred John Dell'Aquila (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - Edward Clayton Ellis (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - Jesse Lucas, Jr (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - Chester William Davidson (group burial photo)
FindAGrave - Romeo Alfred Natoli (grave photo)

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Last Updated
February 10, 2022

 

Tech Info
C-54
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