This crew was lost when their C-87, 43-30575, crashed in the Himalaya Mountains on March 18, 1944. They were assigned to the 1^st Air Commando Unit that supported the Chindits operating in the Burmese jungle. The British men were with the 1st Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers and the Royal Engineers. They were all interred January 26, 1950 in Section E 249-250 at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery

A sapper may perform a variety of tasks under combat conditions. Such tasks typically include bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defenses as well as building, road and airfield construction and repair. In other words, the sapper's tasks now involve facilitating movement of allied forces and impeding movement of the enemy's. This British soldier would be called a combat engineer by the Americans.

 “Chindits” was the name given to the Long Range Penetration (LRP) groups that operated in the Burmese jungle. They were named after the Chinthe, a mythical Burmese beast that was half-lion and half-eagle.  To the commander Major General Orde Wingate this symbolized the need for close air-land co-ordination. The Chindits were the largest of the allied Special Forces of the 2nd World War and operated deep behind enemy lines in North Burma in the War against Japan. They were trained in Commando methods to infiltrate behind the Japanese lines. For many months they lived in and fought the enemy in the jungles of Japanese occupied Burma, totally relying on airdrops for their supplies. 

 There were two Chindits expeditions into Burma, the first in February 1943 Operation Longcloth, consisted of a force of 3,000 men who marched over 1,000 miles during the campaign. The second expedition, Operation Thursday, in March 1944 was on a much larger scale. It was the second largest airborne invasion of the war and consisted of a force of 20,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers with air support provided by the United States Army Air Corps, 1st Air Commando Unit. The full force was marched or landed in the jungle on makeshift air-strips by glider or Dakota aircraft 200 miles behind enemy lines in March 1944. Tragically their leader, General Wingate, was killed a few weeks after the launch of Operation Thursday. The Chindits were very much an International Force, which included British, Burma Rifles, Hong Kong Volunteers, Gurkhas and West African Serviceman. The R.A.F. and First Air Commando Unit of the United States Army Air Corps provided air support.

This B-25, Mitchell, was shot down on July 20, 1943 over the Monte Corvina Airdrome. They were assigned to the 379^th Squadron of the 310^th Bomb Group. They were buried on December 13, 1949 in Plot 230 at the Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery.

1/Lt Robert L. Harrop, Pilot  -  Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

2/Lt Carl N. Speidel, Copilot  -  Sicily-Rome American Cemetery

T/Sgt Gilbert E. Henderson, Bombardier  -  Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery

S/Sgt Joseph L. Beaty, Gunner  -  Unknown burial location

Sgt Chester Barton, Gunner  -  Unknown burial location.

This paragraph was taken from the monthly summary report written at the time.

“Just as there are days that we long remember, there are also those that we like to forget as quickly as possible. July 20 was one of those days for our squadron suffered its only casualty of the month when one of our planes went down over Monte Corvino airdrome. The crew is missing.”

This B-26, Marauder, crashed in Brazil enroute to the war in Europe.  The plane and crew were probably assigned to the 320^th Bomb Group. They were buried on May 6, 1948 in Section E 1 at the Zachary Taylor Nat’l Cemetery.

1/Lt Theodore T. Handley, Pilot

2/Lt Raymond J. Carson, Copilot

F/O James E. Johnson, Jr, Navigator

Cpl George W. Bodin, Radio-Gunner

S/Sgt Wesley W. Fulton, Engineer-Gunner – Unknown Burial Location

On an overcast afternoon in January 1945, the B-26 crashed on Vakayri Mountain near Belem.