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The B-29, 42-24766, "Leading Lady", assigned to the 882nd Squadron, 500th Bomb Group,
73rd Wing , was lost on January 3, 1945. The crew was buried on August 13, 1949 in Section E 114 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
Major Wilbur
E, Hurlbutt, Pilot
2/Lt Felix P.
Omillan, Copilot
1/Lt Glendon M. Aitken, Bombardier
1/Lt Glenn C,
Truesdell, Flight Engineer
1/Lt Edward H.
Stoehr, Navigator
S/Sgt Paul E, Dreyer, Radar
Operator
Sgt Joseph P.
Nighan, Radio Operator
Sgt Karl Hunt, Gunner
Sgt Frank J, Yanik, Gunner
Corporal Richard
P, Steinberg, Gunner
Lt Col Marcus A, Mullen,
Observer
Sgt Harold T. Hedges, Tailgunner – POW
Fifty seven of ninety seven 73rd BW B-29's dispatched to bomb port facilities
and urban areas of Nagoya with incendiary bombs; and 21 attack alternate targets. Japanese fighters fly 300+ attacks on the
bombers and 5 B-29's are lost. Gunners claim 14-14-20 Japanese aircraft.
SgtThomas H. Hedges – POW – He was moved to Osaka Kempei Tai Headquarters, then to Tokyo
Kempei and imprisoned in Omori POW Camp.
"Leading
Lady" from
the 500th Bomb Group piloted by Major Wilbur "Barney" Hurlbutt was rammed between the nose and the No. 3 engine over Okazaki,
southeast of Nagoya. Sgt. Harold T. Hedges, the tail gunner and only survivor reported their last seconds:
"We
slid out of formation and fell 5,000 feet. We leveled out for just a second, the right side exploded and the aircraft rolled
over on her it's back and went into a spin. Just as it rolled over it threw me out of my escape hatch. I opened my chute right
after I went out and I was watching the ship spin down. Two Japanese fighters came in strafing me and I lost sight of the
ship. That was the last time I saw it or the crew."
Japanese sources say "it was probably the result of an accidental
collision rather then an intentional ramming."
A Japanese Report
After
the Nagoya city bombing which becomes first anti- urban district incendiary bomb air raid, 15:14 around flying Tsubame of
the resident in Komaki army 55th squadron (Daita actual lieutenant junior grade operation) direct attack against the third
engine and between the nose. To become operation impossible, the Aichi prefecture east Kamo Gun Matsudaira village fascine
[me] (reality: Aichi prefecture Toyota checks flat fascine [me]) fall. Daita lieutenant junior grade death in battle. The only survivorAs for HEDGES sergeant 4 day
restraint, Okazaki military policeman amount place, Toyohashi military policeman squad, by way of the Nagoya military policeman
party, in the Nagoya division headquarters sending 致. From middle of January Nagoya in resident in Osaka center Army
Headquarters sending 致. In the Osaka army jail commitment. By the March 1st defense General Headquarters indication,
accommodation to main place of Tokyo 俘虜 internment camp.
This was a C-87, 42-107262, assigned to the Air Transport Command. The plane crashed on January
25, 1944, with one survivor, on a mission between Jorhat, India and Yangkai, China. Two crewmembers were buried in Section
E Plot 128 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery on September 8, 1949.
Captain
James T. Cunningham, Jr., Pilot Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
2/Lt
Robert D. Campbell, Copilot Buried at the Honolulu Memorial Cemetery
Sgt
William R. Gunn – Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
Sgt
Paul J. Beauchamp – Only survivor
Research by relatives of the crew has revealed this information. There was
one survivor. He bailed out successfully after the pilot gave the order and with the help of Tibetan natives joined the Chinese
army 38 days after the crash. The crash site is in a very remote area of the
"Hump" (The Himalayas) and according to the survivor the Chinese Army made the recovery.
One pilot remembered that a helluva storm swept across the area. He told of hail stones that
had broken out the canopy of a C-87. The crew draped GI blankets over their heads for protection. The C-87 wings were normally
straight with no dihedral but these had a decided droop and the aircraft was towed to the junkyard.
This B-24, 42-99981, crew was shot down by flak on April 5, 1944. They were assigned to the
406th Bomber Squadron of the 801st Bomb Group. They were buried in Section E Plot 143 on August 30,
1949 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.
2/Lt William W. Nicoll,
Pilot Buried overseas at the Brittany American Cemetery
2/Lt Adolphe W. Kalbfleisch,
Copilot Survived
S/Sgt Richard C. Bindel,
Flight Engineer Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
S/Sgt Warren A. Brewer,
Radio Operator Zachary Taylor National Cemetery
2/Lt Thomas F. Davis, Bombardier Zachary Taylor
National Cemetery
2/Lt William G. Harris,
Navigator Unknown burial location
S/Sgt Ralph L. Kittrell,
Tailgunner Unknown burial location
S/Sgt Joseph E. Porter, Gunner
Survived
S/Sgt Ralph L. Wetzul,
Gunner
Sgt Edward A. Troutman, Gunner
Monument at: Truttemer-le-Grand (Calvados), France
This was their first flight as a crew on the night of 5/6 April 1944. Kalbfleisch and Porter survived
the downing and successfully evaded until they were returned to the UK in August of 1944. Wetzel and Troutman were orphaned.
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