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1LT Owen Philip Walls

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1LT Owen Philip Walls

Birth
Kamsack, Yorkton Census Division, Saskatchewan, Canada
Death
28 Jun 1945 (aged 28)
Nagoya, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan
Burial
Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA Add to Map
Plot
SECTION 82 SITE 1E
Memorial ID
View Source
Co-pilot of B-29-15-BA Superfortress #42-63451, nicknamed "Black Jack Too." While returning from a mission over Kobe, June 5, 1945, two enemy fighters pursued and shot down the bomber. One crewmember was killed outright aboard (Sgt. Romanelli, left gunner) and ten parachuted before the aircraft crashed into a fisherman's house, killing Mr. Iwasaki and four members of his family in Kagawa, Japan. One crewmember died from head wounds the next day (believed to be Sgt. Heisler). The remaining crew were captured over a period of several days and all taken to Tokai Army Headquarters in Nagoya City. After being declared war criminals by their Japanese captors, the crew were taken from their barracks, one by one, on June 28th and beheaded.

Members of the flight crew:

1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator
Co-pilot of B-29-15-BA Superfortress #42-63451, nicknamed "Black Jack Too." While returning from a mission over Kobe, June 5, 1945, two enemy fighters pursued and shot down the bomber. One crewmember was killed outright aboard (Sgt. Romanelli, left gunner) and ten parachuted before the aircraft crashed into a fisherman's house, killing Mr. Iwasaki and four members of his family in Kagawa, Japan. One crewmember died from head wounds the next day (believed to be Sgt. Heisler). The remaining crew were captured over a period of several days and all taken to Tokai Army Headquarters in Nagoya City. After being declared war criminals by their Japanese captors, the crew were taken from their barracks, one by one, on June 28th and beheaded.

Members of the flight crew:

1st Lieut Woodrow B Palmer, pilot
2nd Lieut Owen Philip Walls, co-pilot
1st Lieut Robert F Dailey, navigator
1st Lieut Don A Coulter, bombadier
Master Sgt Henry Thomas Farish, Jr, flight engineer
Staff Sgt Willard Moore Chapman, Jr, radio operator
Staff Sgt Cleveland T Niles, senior gunner
Staff Sgt Peter Sabo, right gunner
Staff Sgt Joseph W Romanelli, left gunner
Sgt Charles A Heisler, tail gunner
Sgt Eugene J Prouty, radar operator

Inscription

1LT, 678 AAF BOMB SQ, 444 BOMB GP WORLD WAR II



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  • Created by: ShaneO
  • Added: Aug 25, 2009
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41118987/owen_philip-walls: accessed ), memorial page for 1LT Owen Philip Walls (13 Aug 1916–28 Jun 1945), Find a Grave Memorial ID 41118987, citing Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Lemay, St. Louis County, Missouri, USA; Maintained by ShaneO (contributor 47009366).