Liberator 4273196

Bowes, Pershing E.
Army 2nd lieutenant

Pershing E. Bowes from New York.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Second Lieutenant Pershing E. Bowes entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from New York and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was the navigator aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. 2LT Bowes was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant Bowes is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

McLauchlen, John E.
Army 2nd lieutenant

John E. McLauchlen, age 25, from Michigan.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Second Lieutenant John E. McLauchlen Jr. entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Michigan and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group. He was the pilot of this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. 2nd Lt McLauchlen was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant McLauchlen is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.
Cemetery: Fort Leavenworth

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Herald Palladium (2024)

Morley, Charles W.
Army Sergeant

Charles W. Morley, age 26, from Cuyahoga County Ohio.

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Sergeant Charles W. Morley entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Washington and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was a gunner aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. SGT Morley was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Sergeant Morley is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

Nixon, Claude E.
Army Staff sergeant

Claude E. Nixon, age 22, from Nueces County Corpus Christi, Texas .

Parents: Ele B. Nixon

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Staff Sergeant Claude E. Nixon entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Texas and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was a gunner aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. SSG Nixon was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Staff Sergeant Nixon is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Corpus Christi Times (1946)

Pyle, Edward K.
Army Staff sergeant

Edward K. Pyle, age 31, from Stark County Alliance, Ohio .

Parents: Harry T. Pyle

Service era: World War II
Schools: Alligance High, Mount Union College

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On March 14, 2024, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Staff Sergeant Edward K. Pyle, missing from World War II. Staff Sergeant Pyle entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Ohio and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group. On December 1, 1943, he was a gunner on a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) which took off from Panagarh Airfield, India, with ten crew members on a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After taking its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The remains of the crew were reported not recovered or identified after the war and were eventually declared Missing in Action. In 1947, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of what they believed to be eight individuals involved in a potential B-24 Liberator crash that was supposed to have occurred near Yodayadet, Burma, in November 1943. According to local witnesses, there were no survivors from this aviation loss and Japanese forces had instructed local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves. At the time, the eight sets of remains could not be scientifically identified, and they were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, Hawaii. In October 2020, DPAA personnel exhumed the remains from NMCP and moved them to the DPAA laboratory for further study. The laboratory analysis and the totality of the circumstantial evidence available established one set of these remains as those of S Sgt Pyle.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Salem News (1943)

Rauh, Gilbert Andrew
Army 2nd lieutenant

Gilbert Andrew Rauh, age 28, from Westchester County Valhalla, New York .

Parents: Julius Rauh

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Second Lieutenant Gilbert Andrew Rauh entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from New York and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was the bombardier aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. 2LT Rauh was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant Rauh is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Reporter Dispatch (1971)

Seifreid, Harold L.
Army Technician sergeant

Harold L. Seifreid, age 31, from Philadelphia County Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .

Service era: World War II

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On November 21, 2023, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) identified the remains of Technical Sergeant Harold Lynn Seifreid, missing from World War II. TSgt Seifreid entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Pennsylvania and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group. On December 1, 1943, he was the radio operator aboard a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) which took off from Panagarh Airfield, India, with ten crew members on a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The remains of the crew were reported not recovered or identified after the war and were eventually declared Missing in Action. In 1947, the American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) recovered the remains of what they believed to be eight individuals involved in a potential B-24 Liberator crash that was supposed to have occurred in November 1943 near Yodayadet, Burma. According to local witnesses, there were no survivors from this aviation loss and Japanese forces had instructed local villagers to bury the remains in two large graves. At the time, the eight sets of remains could not be scientifically identified, and they were interred as Unknowns in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Honolulu, Hawaii. In October 2020, DPAA personnel exhumed the remains from NMCP and moved them to the DPAA laboratory for further study. The laboratory analysis and the totality of the circumstantial evidence available established one set of these remains as those of TSgt Seifreid.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Punxsutawney Spirit (1943)

Tedone, Frank J.
Army Staff sergeant

Frank J. Tedone, age 23, from Hartford County Hartford, Connecticut .

Parents: Pauline Tedone

Service era: World War II
Schools: Penny High (1966)

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Staff Sergeant Frank J. Tedone entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Connecticut and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was a gunner aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. SSG Tedone was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Staff Sergeant Tedone is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Hartford Courant (1969)

Watts, Elden W
Army Air Forces

Elden W Watts, age 20, from Canadian County Yukon, Oklahoma .

Service era: World War II
Military history: 436 Bombardment Squadron 7 Bombardment Group (Heavy)

Date of death: Wednesday, December 1, 1943
Death details: On December 1, 1943, a B-24J Liberator (serial number 42-73196) took off from Panagarh Airfield, India with ten crew members aboard for a bombing mission against the Insein rail yards north of Rangoon, Burma. After making its bombing run, this Liberator was hit in the left wing by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft was last seen trailing smoke between Insein and Rangoon, diving into the clouds with several enemy fighters in pursuit. The bomber failed to return to its base, and it was not found following the incident. The ten crew members were reported lost with the aircraft. Second Lieutenant Elden W. Watts entered the U.S. Army Air Forces from Oklahoma and served in the 436th Bombardment Squadron, 7th Bombardment Group (Heavy). He was the copilot aboard this Liberator when it was shot down on December 1, 1943. 2LT Watts was not reported to be a prisoner of war, and he was not identified among remains recovered from the area after the war. He is still unaccounted-for. Today, Second Lieutenant Watts is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines.

Source: National Archives, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency

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